Twenty more cars left unattended while de-icing in Horsham

As temperature fell yesterday morning (January 23) officers carried out more patrols across the district as part of a new operation, Operation Frostbite, to try and stop opportunist car thieves.

A spokesman for Horsham Police said: “A lot of comments from people we found were along the lines of ‘We live down a quiet cul-de-sac, so thought it would be safe’.

“We need to dispel such myths and re-enforces the need to be vigilant no matter where you live.”

On Friday, January 13, 17 cars were spotted unattended on driveways with their car engines running in the space of two hours. Eleven of those were seen at homes in Southwater.

The previous week two cars were taken from properties in the village after keys were left in the ignition while they were de-icing. A further three were also stolen in Horsham.

In December a £20,000 metallic BMW X3 was stolen from a driveway of a house in Cedar Drive and a silver Ford Focus was stolen from Bignor Close, Horsham.

Police said both thefts occurred in frosty conditions and in one case the car had been left ticking over to help defrost the windscreen.

Sussex Police is investigating whether the thefts are linked.

The spokesman added: “It’s an open invitation to opportunist thieves and they’re gone in seconds. Exclusion clauses in many insurance policies may also mean that insurance is invalidated. That said, be patient and don’t be tempted to drive without making sure that you have cleared windows and mirrors to ensure that your journey will be safe.’’

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