POLICE APPEAL

Police in the Kennet area of Wiltshire are advising visitors to crop  circles and isolated historic sites in the area to be mindful of their  possessions and vehicle security when visiting.

 Spates of thefts from motor vehicles have been reported by visitors to many of the sites in Kennet during the summer months over recent years, especially near to Alton Barnes, Avebury, Savernake Forest and Clench Common. 

Visitors should ensure all windows are closed and that their vehicles are securely locked when unattended. They should ensure that they take all items of any value with them. Visitors should not leave handbags, hold alls, coats and other items in the cars. Even if visitors think that concealing these items in the car will be sufficient, thieves will unfortunately know exactly where to look to find them if they break in!

Therefore where possible visitors should not bring anything valuable to these sites that they can not easily carry with them when they leave their vehicles. If this is unavoidable then anything bulky or large should be kept locked and out of sight in the boot of the car - before visitors arrive. Some thieves watch from a distance!

The misery and inconvenience that such crimes cause to the victims is very considerable and local police patrols are being increased in the areas to try and deter and detect the culprits. Crime reduction information is also being supplied at the sites but we sadly can not be everywhere at once and so this police activity should not encourage  visitors to be more complacent about security.

Visitors may feel that they are safe and free from crime when they visit the idyllic Wiltshire countryside. However, this does not automatically mean that visitors should be less mindful about the security of their possessions and vehicles. The same common sense measures that motorists might take if they were to park in an inner city area should be adhered to at these rural sites as well.