Dear resident,

We are investigating a theft of a vehicle which occurred on Hook Common, Hanley Castle.

The theft occurred between 6pm on Friday 17th January and 11am on Saturday 18th January when the blue grey Land Rover Defender 90 hard top, registration ending EWM was stolen without keys. 

We are keen to hear from anyone who may have any information relating to the theft or that may have been in the area around the time of the incident and heard or seen anything suspicious. Please can we ask that if you have a dashboard camera in your vehicle and you were in the area during these times that you check the footage for any potential suspects.

If you have information this please let us know using the online ‘Tell Us About’ form on our website www.westmercia.police.uk, quoting incident reference 00308_I_18012025.

If you aren’t comfortable contacting us directly, you can pass on information anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

There has been a rise in the theft of Land Rovers in the South Worcestershire area and we want to prevent this as much as we can.

Some of the reasons are they are being used for parts as well as the whole vehicle. Criminals operating on behalf of gangs and other criminal organisations are trying to fill a demand from Eastern Europe and Africa for these high-value vehicles. They are more or less, being stolen to order. In many cases, the vehicle is stripped down with high-tech parts and then shipped abroad, the rest of the vehicle either then getting destroyed or sent abroad with the various parts for large sums of cash.

Here are some things you can do to stop your Land Rover being stolen:

Install a tracking device

Use a steering lock

Erect driveway security bollards

Invest in a ghost Immobiliser

Use a Faraday bag for keys

Install security lighting and video doorbells

For more in depth crime prevention advice click here: Secured by Design - Car Security

Thank you for your help. It is only by the police and the public working together that we can prevent and detect crime.

Kind regards