Thieves target dog walkers on common

Three incidents this month alone bring the total to 21 break-ins in the town so far this year.
Nine of these have occured on Hungerford Common since April.
The situation has prompted a campaign by Hungerford neighbourhood Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Lee Bremner and she outlined her plan at a meeting of the full town council on Monday night.
She told councillors: “I was in a shop just the other day and I overheard one woman saying she doesn’t walk her dog on the common any more. She had had her car broken into.
“I don’t want our beautiful common getting a reputation like that.”
PCSO Bremner said she had increased her patrols round the common and had had special cards printed up warning drivers and offering advice.
But she said motorists must help by changing their habits.
PCSO Bremner told the meeting: “It’s shocking - I’ve seen things like handbags left in footwells in full view. We may have to think about putting signs up, if it can be done without ruining the look of the area.”
On November 3, thieves used an instrument to lever open a car window on the common at Lower Denford before stealing a handbag and contents.
On the same day, in a different car park at Lower Denford, a car window was broken and a dog walker’s handbag was stolen.
The latest incident was on November 23: a car parked on the common was broken into and a wallet was stolen from a shopping bag.
Handbags were usually stolen from the beauty spot locations, while various valuables including tools have been stolen from vehicles in residential roads.
PCSO Bremner said that, apart from that, there was no apparent pattern to the thefts, although the car park at the Downgate pub has not been targetted because it is overlooked.
She told the meeting: “We believe the thieves are using a vehicle because we responded really quickly to one call. The victim had only walked 300 yards from her car in a layby near the Kintbury gate and her handbag - a large bag - was stolen. It wasn’t dumped and there was no one walking nearby.
“It seems the thieves are parking out of sight and then waiting.”
Meanwhile PCSO Bremner is continuing with her card campaign. They state on one side: ‘Display and you will pay,’ while on the reverse they have the following bullet points:
* Trust locks not luck - double check your car is secure
* Display and you’ll pay - don’t tempt thieves, take your belongings with you
* Sat Nav - remove and wipe off sucker mark on window
If you see anything suspicious, contact the neighbourhood police team via the 101 number or call 999 if a crime is in progress.