POLICE in Spennymoor have issued a reminder to motorists to safeguard their property from opportunist thieves.

PC Gordon Reid said there had been a spate of thefts of CD players from cars parked in and around the town in recent weeks and urged owners to think before leaving their vehicle.

He said: "I wouldn't say it is a serious problem, but there have been a few incidents lately, people still forget to take the front off CD players when leaving their car, making them a target."

In the latest incident, a window was smashed and a silver JVC CD player stolen from a car in Mayfield, Spennymoor, overnight on Tuesday.

PC Reid is appealing for witnesses to the incident, or anyone who knows of such items being sold locally, to ring him on 0845 60 60 365.

The warning follows the launch of a borough-wide initiative, called Operation Hawkeye, by Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership and Durham Police to combat car crime over the festive period.