Stolen caravan

[Christine_374296648]

We just had our lovely 2006 Cristall caravan stolen from our drive in broad daylight, during our absence from the property for one hour!

We are heartbroken and are hoping that our insurance company do the decent thing.

Obviously being the victim of any crime is never nice, but we got the impression that the police have no regard to caravans whatever. ( The effect of the Top Gear 'caravans are sad' attitude,perhaps?)

To those of us who see them as an extension of our own homes and rely on them for family breaks and visits to children/grandchildren - the importance of our caravans is obvious.

Has anyone had a more positive experience with the police in this sad situation?

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss Christine, you must feel really sick, I certainly would. To me it would feel like I had been violated personally. The chances of them being caught are zilch but even if they were there would be queues of councillors and other idiots ready to protect their rights. These people are the scum of the earth and shouldn't be allowed to breathe precious oxygen. I realise that might sound a bit strong to some who believe in civil rights but tough. I feel like that and I haven't even had my caravan stolen. If it was my caravan I would be offering my services as the executioner if they were caught. This country is truly on the slippery road to anarchy with not one politician with the guts to say enough is enough, they are too busy thinking of the vote. If one political party did have the backbone and promise to clear the country of the scum they would have a landslide victory.

My heart goes out to you and your family Christine :O(

 

[Rioja]

I can only imagine how you feel. I was really annoyed when mine was merely vandalised.

I think you are too sceptical of the police though,Christine. They do face a difficult job, not only trying to prioritise crime, but prioritising those that are solveable.

Maybe the industry needs more preventative measures like tracker devices at affordable prices. Nowadays it is far easier to catch stolen cars with hidden number plate recognition cameras but the CRIS registration scheme doesn't come into that realm of technology.

I also agree that if punishments were harder it might deter more people from helping themselves to someone else's hard earned.

It's even more appalling that criminals are being compensated for being let out of jail early ( in lieu of bed and board) when you will get nothing having been deprived of yours.

 

[Surfer]

The attitude of the police can be laid at the government's door. They spend more time doing paperwork than tacking crime. Not helped by the fact that the standards have been lowered quite a bit and the newer bobbies do not have the same attitude as the older and more seasoned policeman.

How would you feel about your job if you spent hours doing paperwork only for the criminal to get a warning, suspension of even let out early from a long jail sentence. Could you face the people whose home the crimminal had burgalled perhaps injuring one of the famuily members and tell them the criminal got off with a warning? Does not encourage trust between the public and the police.

 

[ThePlotter]

A bit of a long shot but you never know,give a description,any damage or identification points and where was it stolen from,its worth a try.

 

[Christine_374296648]

Thanks for the support, folks.

I appreciate that the police may have more pressing things to worry about - at the end of the day you just want to know that someone cares when something unpleasant happens.

As cross as I am about the thieving toe-rags responsible, I'm not really into wanting to see them suffer. I would like to see a more level playing field where the rights of all concerned are seen to be given equal weight and respect. How that can be achieved, who knows ? It would be great to see more of an emphasis on responsibilities as well as on rights. If these guys are getting away with taking caravans worth thousands and it is just accepted as an insurance write-off, what might such people progess to if not brought to book?

It is nice to know that fellow caravanners are so supportive.

Hopefully we will be back on the road one of these days.

 

[Christine_374296648]

The caravan is a Cristall Sprint 500 TK 2006 model. There are no particular external marks, but there is a scratch on the flooring near the door and a filled dent in one of the interior tables.

It was stolen from Hayling Island two weeks ago.

The front panel was replaced after an accident last summer, but it is not obvious.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I'm 100% supportive of you in your loss Christine but cannot support you in your statement of not wanting the culprits to suffer. It's the fact that they know they wont suffer that allows them to carry on living off other peoples endeavours like the leeches that they are. I won't call them animals because thats an insult to animals. Why should they work when all they have to do is steal others belongings that they have worked for. I agree with the sentiments about the police being tied to paper work but that isn't the only way they've been hit. At one time a copper was at least 5'10" but now, due to political correctness, we have more tiny females and more tiny males, some whose helmets are bigger than themselves. Now the police are looking for more females or ethnic minorities, if you are a white male don't bother applying. Gender or race is the main criteria for suitability today. As one copper told me, when on patrol and having to deal with a violent fight and your colleague is a small petite female doesn't give one the utmost confidence. It certainly cannot help a policemans morale in situations like that.

 

[Richard_5040072]

I think that one of the reasons that police don't treat stolen caravans with the urgency that we think they should is because of government targets.

The various constabularies issue figures on crimes committed and resolved in several categories. Violent crime, racial crime,car crime, burglary, etc.

Stolen caravans are treated as general theft and therefore do not come into the "headline" categories.

That means that caravans do not have priority and are treated in the same way as the theft of a packet of sweets from Woolworths.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

By coincidence to my posts above it has been admitted in Parliament that in 2006 there were 2,100 police left the service through low morale.

In reference to Richards comment about police targets, these are also applicable to my above post of recruiting a certain % of females and ethnic minorities to each force.

 

[Steve L]

I'm sorry to read of your plight.

I'm afraid all too often these days the police focus more on "insurance" protection for the "tax payer" rather than detection of crime. Thats not to say that they do try to do what they can with the resorces around.

Fortunately I've not had a caravan stolen, but I did have to deal with someone causing criminal damage to our property.

I even witnessed the young man doing it and followed him to his gran's house. On telephoning the police, they were more concerned that I did not attempt a citizens arrest or harm him in any way. But of coarse it took them 45 mins to attend. Then because he was "unemployed" it took 3 years to pay off the damages awarded by the courts. (

 

[ProfJohnL]

Christine,

Very sorry to read of your loss, and I hope that you will totally ignore the posting by person with a very small mind and offensive vocabulary.

I hope you are reunited either with your caravan in pristine condition or with anew one courtesy of the insurers.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Was the personal attack against myself John L??????????

 

[cokey1970]

Christine, sorry to hear about your caravan being stolen and of your experience with the police.

The caravan thief will usually strike when the householder is out meaning that the theft is not discovered and reported until some hours later. By this time, the van is long gone. This also applies to caravan storage locations where thefts can often go unnoticed for days.

I know of one case where a caravan was stolen from the driveway of a house in Staffordshire in 2004. It has now recently turned up on a travellers site in Gloucestershire and persons were arrested.

I would suggest that fitting a Tracker branded unit to a caravan would be a good security measure. The majority of police forces have the Tracker units fitted to police vehicles/helicopters and will respond to activations.

Frontline response police officer numbers (the officers that attend to everyday crime and emergencies) and morale is at an all time low. When the Government re-invented the wheel and put Community Police Officers on the street, the only place to take them was from the front line. Since then, response officer numbers have not recovered and probably never will.

Hope your insurance sorts a new van for you soon.

 

[cokey1970]

The attitude of the police can be laid at the government's door. They spend more time doing paperwork than tacking crime. Not helped by the fact that the standards have been lowered quite a bit and the newer bobbies do not have the same attitude as the older and more seasoned policeman.

How would you feel about your job if you spent hours doing paperwork only for the criminal to get a warning, suspension of even let out early from a long jail sentence. Could you face the people whose home the crimminal had burgalled perhaps injuring one of the famuily members and tell them the criminal got off with a warning? Does not encourage trust between the public and the police.

Ian, it is unlikely that a burglar who injured a householder (aggravated burglary) would get a warning. Also, the police shouldn't be blamed for the outcome of case at court.

 

[ProfJohnL]

No oh No Braykewynde,

Such a refined person as your self does not offend with villious vocabulary, You have learnt to do with style and flare and sneakyness becoming of a member of the upper house.

I refer to some riff-raff who took it upon him or herself to be offensive by stating with a name - 'caravan-owners-are-tossers' and proceeded to use language and grammer that would have offended the ladies and children of the family seat.

It seems the moderators have accosted and executed the ragamuffin.

Are you still available for the chukka with Charles and Phil on Sunday? and will you still be using the old mare for your ride?

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Hmmmmmm John L, I hope you are not referring to my good friend Charles' wife as an "old mare". Even if so, I have no intention of riding her. I know for a fact that she used to be a member of this forum and posted under the pseudonym of LadyC so she will probably read your post and sue. Her Ladyship believes you were referring to herself and wanted to sue but rest at ease, I told her you would have referred to her goodself as the "old nag".

 

[ProfJohnL]

Good Lord no!

I haven't been introduced to Lady B, I was of course referring Lord Tom Pearce's grey mare. apparently a great favourite of Uncle Tom Cobley, Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan'l Whidden and Harry Hawk, to name but a few!

Though why Lord T calls her grey defeats me, as I recall she is a very attractive chestnut filly and rides very well.

 

[Surfer]

Martin althoughy the police have no control over sentencing, Joe Public looks to the police because the criminal has got off with a light sentence.

When I was in the force, we always use to go for the top charge that one can lay and then let the courts reduce it. Although I never served in the police force in Britain I do understand how frustrating it is to work with one hand tied behind your back and then sent up the creek without a paddle.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

How about this for lawless Britain and its sentencing for offenders.

One evening a lad of 17 saw another aged 16 assaulting a girl so he reported it to the police. The girl, who happened to be the girlfriend of the one beating her up later told her boyfriend who it was who had reported him.

Later he the assaulted the witness causing him to have a fractured skull and he was in a coma for weeks. It was only the sound of his skull being smashed against the pavement that alerted people in their homes who came out and stopped it.

Today the boy is still in hospital although he has regained conciousness. He is learning to feed himself and having to learn to walk again. Doctors still don't know the extent of his brain damage.

The moron was in court this week and it was reported after the case he had 36 previous convictions, only God knows how many he got away with, and he was still only 16. Apparently he walked into the dock waving and laughing to his mother in the gallery. After he was sentenced he managed to smash the dock up while shouting abuse at the Judge before being restrained. The victims life is probably destroyed now at 17 years old. It looks as if he will have some permanent physical injuries and will certainly be mentally scarred.

How long did this moron get sent down for?

Three and a half years. We are now going to have to keep him in gaol and also pay any compensation that he might claim for denying him his human rights. On release we the taxpayers will give him another handout. It truly makes me want to puke. It's towards the victims these civil rights idiots should be channeling their energies.

Just a little aside, isn't it strange that the head of migration and equalities at the Institute of Public Policy Research is called Danny Sriskandandarajah.

Isn't it strange that the Commission on Integration and Cohesion head is Darra Singh.

Isn't it strange that the head of campaign group Liberty is Shami Chakrabarti.

Why is it that civil liberty/human rights lawyers mostly have unpronounceable names?

Are people with surnames like Jones, Smith, Green or Evans a dying breed?

 

[cokey1970]

Ian,

I appreciate what you're saying but in my personal exprience, the public don't look to the police because a person has got a light sentence.

The British public should be intelligent enough to understand that it is down the courts system and the 'game' that the defence solicitors/lawyers like to play in court.

Martin.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

An aquaintance as just called at our house. She told us that her daughter and family are emigrating and is quite upset. This is the fifth family within a month that I know that's emigrating. I wonder why?

Talk about abandoning a sinking ship :O(

The politicians tell us that theres not much difference in the amount of immigrants coming in as those leaving. What they fail to say is that it's the indigenous population that are leaving as fast as they can.

 

[Guest]

I share the comments about your loss of caravan. Just one curious comment tho'. I also own a Cristall, my second as they are pretty good vans, and since 2005 they are all fitted with a Theftbeaters tracking system as standard. This includes about 50 markings made with IR all over the van plus a tracking sensor. If this all failed then you have me concerned as well.

 

[Christine_374296648]

I share the comments about your loss of caravan. Just one curious comment tho'. I also own a Cristall, my second as they are pretty good vans, and since 2005 they are all fitted with a Theftbeaters tracking system as standard. This includes about 50 markings made with IR all over the van plus a tracking sensor. If this all failed then you have me concerned as well.

We were not made aware of our van having a tracking device fitted. It wasn't in any of the info. which came with the van. It was a Sprint, which is the more basic model of the Cristall range. Might this be the reason? All the other equipment in the van came with leaflets in the folder which accompanied the sale, but nothing was in there about a tracking device. I don't know how these things work exactly - would we have had to activate something or have some sort of identifying code other than the vin/cris number?

 

[ericcaravanning4u]

If you send me an email and a photo with the serial number of your caravan I will publish it