WITH the warmer weather of spring tempting people out to take walks in the countryside, Wiltshire police have warned people of the dangers of leaving valuables in their vehicles while parking in isolated locations.

The past month has seen a sharp increase in the number of thefts from motor vehicles in beauty spots around the county as people take advantage of the improving weather.

In most cases, opportunist thieves have targeted vehicles where items of obvious or potential value have been left in full of view of anybody walking past the vehicle. These include handbags, wallets, and mobile phones.

Inspector Ian Stevenson, of Marlborough police, said: "This is a perennial problem for the public and police alike which has no strict pattern due to the opportunist nature of the crime.

This makes it very difficult for us to prevent and detect offences, but we are doing our best to tackle the problem by tasking our officers to make regular visits to known vulnerable locations.

"Unfortunately, there is only so much we can do and the public are asked to take special care when leaving their vehicles unattended, especially in rural locations.

"My best advice is to leave nothing of any value within your cars and never leave cash, credit or debit cards, cheque books or keys within your vehicle.

"In addition, if you see somebody acting suspiciously in or around car parks and lay-bys, please call us with whatever information. You can ring on 0845 4087000, or on 999 if it is an emergency."