More police patrols and appeal launched after thieves target vehicles near Mansfield

Eight separate incidents of items being stolen from cars or door handles being tried have been reported by residents of Farnsfield.

High-value tools, a wallet and clothing are among the items reported to have been taken from inside vehicles by thieves in recent weeks.

The offences – all of which happened in the early hours of the morning between December 21 and January 4 – are being investigated by Newark & Sherwood officers.

Three vehicles were targeted on December 21, with items taken from a van in Yates Croft around 5.15am and a car in Broomfield Lane, between 2am and 8am, while handles were tried in Pasture Way at 1.10am.

Someone again tested car door handles in Pasture Way on December 29 at 2.25am, with police also receiving reports of someone stealing belongings from a vehicle parked in nearby The Ridgeway at 2.15am.

More items were reportedly taken from a car on Alexander Road on January 3, between 2am and 4am, before unsuccessful attempts were made to break-into vehicles on January 4.

One vehicle parked in Station Lane, was targeted at 2am that morning, before car door handles were tried to a second on Chapel Lane, just after 4.35am.

All the incidents are currently being investigated, while visible police patrols around the Farnsfield area have been stepped up, during the day and night, in a bid to prevent further offending.

Police are at this stage working under the premise that all the incidents could be linked and can now release images of two people they’d like to speak to as part of their investigation.

Insp Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark & Sherwood, said: “We have unfortunately seen a recent spike in vehicle crime reports in Farnsfield but I want to reassure people living in the village that we are taking action.

“As part of this, I’ve instructed for more patrols to be conducted by our officers in and around this area, in a bid to deter more examples of this type of behaviour.

“Nobody has the right to break into another person’s vehicle and take items that don’t belong to them.

"We thoroughly appreciate how upsetting it must be to be targeted in this manner.

“All available CCTV and other footage from these locations is being analysed by our teams, and we at this stage believe there could be a link between the incidents with the same people involved.

“We believe the two people in these pictures could have valuable information that could assist our inquiries, so we’d ask anyone who recognises them to get in touch with us.

“Likewise, anyone who has any information about any of these offences is asked to call us on 101, quoting any of incidents 232 and 280 of 21 December, 414 of 29 December, 545 of 30 December, 113 and 282 of 4 January, and 496 of 7 January.”