SNEAK thieves have been stealing cars in the Leigh area while owners are out . . . defrosting them.

The cars were taken when owners left the engine running to clear the windscreens.

The latest thefts come as police warn that a gang of car thieves has turned the centre of Leigh into a "no-go" area for parked cars unless people properly secure their vehicles.

In the past seven days alone 16 cars have been stolen from Leigh town centre. Four were taken on just one evening.

The thieves are targeting older vehicles and less expensive models such as Ford Fiestas and Metros.

The prime time for the thefts has been between 6pm and 10pm. Two vehicles were stolen while the owners were defrosting their cars ready to go to work on Monday morning and were taken from outside the homes in Astley around 7am.

Leigh police said the cars were taken with the keys in the ignitions after the owners had gone back inside their houses for just a few minutes.

Leigh police officer Sgt Mark Bradley said: "Vehicle crime has become a problem in Leigh town centre and surrounding areas. This has coincided with complaints of criminal damage.

"The majority of the vehicles stolen have been Fords and Metros and have been stolen in the evening period. A number of juveniles have been arrested in respect of the theft of vehicles but the problem continues."

And he added: "Do not make the mistake of leaving your vehicle with the engine running while defrosting your windscreen and going back inside your house. This is the ideal situation for the opportunist thief."

The police are recommending that owners follow security advice such as not leaving valuables on display and putting locks on the steering wheel.

Anyone with information on car thefts or damage to cars should contact Leigh Intelligence Unit on 0161 856 7279.