Two ‘masked offenders’ were caught trying car doors in and around Burnley at the weekend.

Police received reports of two people trying car doors in the area of Croasdale Avenue and Deerplay Close, at 5am on Sunday, July 28.

They managed to gain entry to one car in Croasdale. It appears that nothing was taken.

The duo were disturbed and “left the area swiftly”.

Police have urged motorists to follow their advice on securing their vehicles.

A police spokesperson said: “We have received reports of two masked offenders trying car doors in the area of Croasdale Avenue and Deerplay Close, at 5am on Sunday.

“They managed to gain entry to one car on Croasdale. Fortunately, it seems that nothing was taken.  They were disturbed and left the area pretty swiftly.”

Tips on keeping vehicles secure:

  • Never leave items on display, such as shopping bags, handbags, or coats. Don’t leave spare keys or sat navs in your vehicle, even in the glove box.
  • At home, don’t leave car keys in clear view from windows or in reach from the letter box. Hook and canes can be used to steal keys through letter boxes. High value and performance cars can be specifically targeted for this type of crime.
  • Never leave the engine running, especially in frosty weather, car thieves know that people do this.
  • If you use your vehicle for work, remove your tools or other valuables if possible. Simple things like reversing onto the drive so that the rear doors on a van can’t be opened easily will help to put thieves off.
  • Park where the vehicle can be well seen, even if it means walking a bit further. Don’t park behind bushes, walls or large vehicles because this gives criminals somewhere to hide. At night try to park in residential areas because people are more likely to be at home not at work.
  • When using a car park, remove all items on display and think about when you will be returning to the car – will it be dark, if so is there a safer area to park nearer to a street light.
  • Consider steering locks, alarms, tracking devices and immobilisers and if you have them, use them.
  • Use anti-tamper or security screws on your registration plate – they can be easily fitted but can’t be removed using standard tools. These are available from various online retailers, DIY and vehicle maintenance stores.
  • HGV’s and plant are often targeted for diesel theft. Devices are available to buy to help combat this however good security of compounds, lighting, good quality CCTV and natural surveillance will all help to deter this type of crime.