MORE than 30 vehicles have been broken into at Hartlepool since November 1, Cleveland Police have revealed.

Over half of the vehicles, primarily Ford transit vans and Vauxhall combo vans, had not been locked and Inspector Mal Suggitt of Hartlepool police has issued a warning to owners to make sure their car or van is secure at all times.

There have been 32 thefts including five overnight on Wednesday, November 25 and Thursday, November 26 and four on New Year's Day.

Primarily tools were stolen, however, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, building materials, satellite navigation systems, cigarettes, paperwork, radios and wheel trims were also taken.

Thieves mainly targeted the Manor House and Victoria areas of the town but other affected wards include Fens and Rossmere, Foggy Furze, Hart and Jesmond.

Insp Suggitt, of Hartlepool Integrated Neighbourhood Team, said: “Whilst some of these incidents have involved vehicle’s windows being smashed, in more than half the cases vehicles had been left unlocked.

“It’s really important that people recognise that keeping their vehicles locked may mean that they don’t have expensive items stolen.

"A thief taking hundreds of pounds worth of tools that are vital to someone in doing their job could potentially put them out of business. To someone who is self-employed it can be a very big hit.

“Please remember to keep valuables out of sight and park in well-lit areas. Anyone with information regarding those responsible can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”