Tag: police

Posted on

Car Theft, Burglaries and Theft

We are concerned to report that there has been a rise in crime across Kenilworth in the past two to three days. The details of incidents are provided below as normal. Please be vigilant and avoid being a victim of crime.

We would impress upon householders and owners of motor vehicles to review their security measures and if needed take sensible measures to deter criminals and thus avoid becoming victims of crime with all the distress and inconvenience that it can and often does cause.

Once again, we have provided a link at the end of the list of incidents that have taken place since Wednesday 28 May 2025, that provides clear advice as to the measures to take to protect your homes and vehicles.

There are three main elements that make a real difference, anti snap locks (deters burglary and entry to homes), visible steering locks and faraday boxes/pouches that block vehicle key signals (deters/prevents vehicle theft).

The details provided below are the latest events that have taken place across Kenilworth.

If you think you may have seen or heard anything suspicious, have any CCTV or dashcam footage or information about either of these crimes then please contact Warwickshire Police on 101.

Alternatively you call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Motor Vehicle Interference

Please be aware that between 2200hrs on Wednesday 28 May and Thursday 29 May 2025 offender(s) have approached a blue Kia motor vehicle parked on the drive of a property at Hyde Road, Kenilworth and smashed the drivers side window.

The offender(s) have then removed the door handle and damaged the vehicle’s ignition system and steering column.

No items were stolen.

This is crime reference 23/22497/25

Burglary

Please be aware that at approximately 0300hrs on Wednesday 28 May offender(s) have broken into premises at Warwick Road, Kenilworth. Once inside the offender(s) have made an untidy search and stolen a number of hairdressing items.

This is crime reference 23/22325/25

Theft from Unattended Motor Vehicle

Between 1600hrs on Wednesday 28 May and 1015 Thursday 29 May 2025 offender(s) have entered an insecure blue Audi Q3 motor vehicle at Waverley Road, Kenilworth and made an untidy search. Cordless power tools including a mower and strimmer plus batteries have been stolen.

This is crime reference 23/22525/25

Car Key Burglary

Please be aware that between Wednesday 28 May and Thursday 29 May 2025 offenders have snapped the locks at a property at Caesar Road, Kenilworth. The offender(s) have gained entry to the property and made a search and stole the keys to a blue Skoda Fabia which was parked adjacent to the property. The offender(s) have then stolen the Skoda Fabia motor vehicle.

This is crime reference 23/22544/25

Attempted Burglary

Please be aware that offenders tried to break into a property at Fishponds Road, Kenilworth by tampering and trying to force the front door around 0100hrs . 

This is crime reference 23/22678/25

Burglary

Please be aware that between Wednesday 28 May and Friday 30 May 2025 offender(s) have smashed a rear window of a single storey property at Mill End, Kenilworth. The offender(s) then gained entry to the property and made an untidy search. It is not known at this stage, what, if anything, has been stolen.

This is incident 150 of 30/05/25

Burglary

Please be aware that between 1800hrs on Thursday 29 May and 1330hrs on Friday 30 May 2025 offender(s) have entered a single storey property at Leyes Lane, Kenilworth. Once inside the property the offender(s) have made an untidy search of the property and have stolen medals and items of jewellery.

This is incident 186 of 30/05/25

Burglary

Please be aware that between 1500hrs on Wednesday 28 May and 1500hrs on Friday 30 May 2025 offender(s) have forced the rear door of a property at Glasshouse Lane, Kenilworth. The offender(s) gained entry to the property and made an untidy search with a number of items of jewellery being stolen.

This is incident 24 of 30/05/2025

Here is the link to the deterrence methods and crime prevention advice, click on the box below to be taken to the advice:

Car Key Burglaries & Keyless Car Theft – Kenilworth
Posted on

Burglary & Theft – Kenilworth

Please be aware that between 0445hrs and 0515hrs on Monday 9 December 2024 offenders have broken into a property at Woodland Road, Kenilworth by snapping the lock on a rear door to the property. A number of items were stolen including a laptop computer.

This is crime reference 23/52256/24

Please beware that between 1800hrs on Sunday 8 December and 0800hrs on Monday 9 December 2024 offenders have gained access to a construction site on Glasshouse Lane, Kenilworth by climbing over 9 ft perimeter fence. Once inside the offenders have stolen a red Honda petrol jet washer.

This is crime reference 23/52296/24

Once again the event at Woodland Road has easy locks can be snapped. Anti Snap locks are a major deterrent and protection against burglary. On 25 November we put out a general information post which included what householders can do to protect themselves and deter criminals, particularly to remove the vulnerability of burglary where homes are not fitted with anti snap locks. Here is the link to the that advice:

.https://kenilworthnwatch.com/2024/11/24/car-key-burglaries-keyless-car-theft-kenilworth/

Watch how easy it is to snap a door lock and how anti snap locks thwart such a method of entry to premises and homes.

Eydens Locksmiths from Coventry have offered to apply a 10% discount throughout December to any Kenilworth residents that wish to purchase or have anti snap locks fitted to their doors.

If you think you may have seen or heard anything in relation to either of crimes mentioned in this alert, have any CCTV footage, dashcam footage or any information then please contact Warwickshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Posted on

Burglaries – Kenilworth

Burglary

Please be aware that between 0800hrs and midday on Friday 29 November 2024 offender/s have smashed through a side door of a property at Birches Lane, Kenilworth. The offenders gained access to the inside of the property and once iside carried out an untidy search. A number of items were stolen, including watches, passports and birth certificates together with a number of other personal documents. The offenders also tried to steal the TV but failed. They left the premises by the rear fence which they damaged as a result.

This is crime reference 23/50914/24

Burglary

Please be aware that between midday and 1230hrs on Friday 29 November 2024 offender/s have smashed the rear patio door of a property on Coventry Road, Kenilworth to gain access to the inside of the property. Once inside the offender/s carried out an untidy search and a number of items were stolen including jewellery and personal medical devices.

This is crime reference 23/50925/24

These latest burglaries cause concern as they appear to be very opportunist. One of the most effective deterrents to this type of burglary is a monitored burglar alarm. If the offenders can see you have monitored alarm, they know that however they try to gain entry to the property the alarm will notify the homeowner and police in seconds. Consequently, they tend to look for elsewhere where there is less risk of being caught.

Unmonitored CCTV may act as a partial deterrent but is not as effective as a monitored burglar alarm because offenders nowadays almost always completely cover any recognisable features with clothing and headgear so are often not deterred by being caught on camera. However, monitored CCTV which also has voice and speaker functionality can make a difference as you can make offenders aware that you can see them and police are on the way.

Monitored burglar alarms and CCTV systems are available from a range of outlets and suppliers and are not significantly expensive. Two local suppliers are;

https://www.eydens.co.uk

https://www.samphiresecurity.co.uk

If you think you may have seen or heard anything, have any CCTV footage, dashcam footage or any information about either of these incidents please contact Warwickshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Posted on

Car Key Burglaries & Keyless Car Theft – Kenilworth

In recent weeks, understandable concerns have arisen following the theft of motor vehicles in Kenilworth outside people’s homes, often from their private drives. The thefts are likely the work of serious organised crime gangs, and Warwickshire Police are working alongside other forces to detect these criminals.

Nevertheless, there are things we can do to help ourselves and make it much less easy for these criminals. While they can come to Kenilworth and succeed in stealing vehicles, they are likely to keep coming back. If we can all make things more complicated, they will become less successful and eventually go elsewhere until they are caught. We all have a role to play and a contribution to make, which can make a real difference in reducing these crimes. 

Posts on social media have included CCTV showing some of the techniques offenders use to gain access and control of a motor vehicle with keyless ignition. It can make for unnerving viewing. The latest such event was at Windy Arbour, Kenilworth.

In addition, there have been other events in Kenilworth known as “Car Key Burglaries”, where offenders break into a home to locate the keys to the motor vehicle they wish to steal. Both these types of crimes are worrying for householders and vehicle owners. However, we want to impress upon householders some things that can be done that significantly reduce you becoming the next victim of these types of crime.

Two such “Car Key Burglary” events have occurred in Kenilworth in the last ten days, one at Best Avenue and another at Birches Lane, Kenilworth.

Kenilworth Watch wants to share with you what householders can do to help protect themselves and their property.

Car Key Burglary

The last thing any householder wants is to be burgled. Criminals will always look for the easiest pickings so the easier you make it for them the greater the chance you could be a victim, especially if you have a high value motor vehicle of the type and make they would like to steal. Of course no householder knowingly makes things easy for criminals but there are things that many householders are not fully aware of. 

By far the greatest vulnerability can be the standard locks that are fitted on most front and rear doors. Please watch the video to see just how easy it is to break into a home by snapping one of these standard locks. It takes just 18 seconds.

Entry to properties is primarily obtained by snapping the lock of rear or side doors, most of which are the standard UPVC or composite doors that are fitted on most properties these days.

Lock snapping typically enables entry to a property within 9 seconds or so. This is why we make no apology for advising householders to check their locks, and if they are not of the anti-snap standard, please seriously consider having them changed.

It is pleasing to know that following a campaign we ran in the Autumn of 2022 over fifty properties in Kenilworth fitted anti-snap locks. That was and is excellent news and for those properties they now have one of the most effective deterrents available to protect their property from burglary.

CCTV is another helpful tool to protect your property and capture suspicious activity. However, CCTV is not as effective as anti-snap locks or monitored burglar alarms because offenders have gotten wise to techniques to hide their identity, meaning the deterrent effect still exists, but it’s not as great as anti-snap locks and monitored burglar alarms.

We realise that people’s budgets are stretched with the cost of living significantly increasing. Nevertheless, if you have valuable property in your home, you wish to protect it. In that case, fitting anti-snap locks is a sensible decision and one that with two doors should not cost a prohibitive amount compared to the valuables you seek to protect.

Anti Snap locks are available from all reputable local locksmiths.

We have liaised with Eydens Locksmiths of Coventry who can provide Ultion anti snap locks and if you wish fit them at your home for you too. You can contact Eydens between Monday to Saturday between 9am to 5.30pm on 02476 332524. More information at; https://www.eydens.co.uk

Proof that Anti Snap Locks Deter

A recent event in Kenilworth involving a householder showed how effective anti snap locks are. The householder was away on holiday and a key holder was unable to open the front door because the door mechanism (not the anti snap lock) was jammed. Two other doors were available to gain entry to the property but both had anti snap locks fitted and the key holder did not have keys to those doors. It took an approved locksmith over 3 hours to gain entry to the property!

This is why when most criminals see you have anti snap locks fitted they just don’t try and go somewhere else that’s easier.

Keyless Car Theft

We advise all owners of vehicles with keyless entry systems to switch off the key signal when the vehicle has been locked if they have such technology with their vehicle and keys. More importantly, a steering lock device and placing the keys in a metal container or metal lined pouch is the most effective way of deterring and preventing these type of thefts.

Steering Wheel Lock

Fitting a visible robust steering lock such as Milenco or Disclok to high-value vehicles such as Audi, Range Rover and BMW’s is effective and a very visible deterrent. While these vehicles may have include a tracker, these do not always put off thieves. The cost of the Disklok is minimal against the value of the vehicle, but it deters theft because it makes it so difficult for the criminal to steal the vehicle.

Faraday Box and Pouch

The Faraday box and pouch is a first line of defence against relay attacks, cocooning your keys and stopping criminals from boosting its signal. Any metal container will do – a biscuit tin, a filing cabinet, even a microwave – though purpose-made products are inexpensive and effective and easily available online.

A summary of our advice is shown in this advice leaflet at the end of this post. We produced advice to help Kenilworth householders to protect themselves from becoming the next victim of crime that we find ourselves putting out our latest crime alert about.

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, why not subscribe to Kenilworth Watch and join over 1,700 other households in Kenilworth that receive 24/7 crime alerts and updates direct to your smartphone, tablet or PC. Your data is not shared, used by or sold to any other party and is only used for the purposes of providing information related to Neighbourhood Watch in and around Kenilworth.

If you wish or need to contact Warwickshire Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Team for Kenilworth you can do so here: https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/area/your-area/local-policing-team-contact/contact-your-local-policing-team/

Posted on

Burglary, Theft from Vehicle & Vehicle Interference – Kenilworth

KENILWORTH householders and motorist are advised to heighten their vigilance as criminal activity involving burglary, theft of motor vehicles, thefts from motor vehicles and interference of motor vehicles incidents have been reported from across the town since the beginning of the weekend (26/27 October 2024) and continuing through to today (Tuesday 29 October 2024).

Kenilworth Watch is also advising householders to concentrate on two steps that can make a real difference and deter crime.

Fitting anti snap locks to all external doors

Fitting a recommended visible steering lock to motor vehicles.

Burglary

Please be aware that between 1400hrs and 1530hrs on Monday 28 October 2024 offenders have broken through the rear utility glass door of a property on High Street, Kenilworth. The offenders have then made an untidy search of a large part of the premises before leaving. A significant quantity of jewellery, watches and a wallet containing several bank cards and some cash were stolen.

This is crime reference 23/46202/24

Vehicle Interference

Please be aware that at approximately 1700hrs on Monday 28 October 2024 offender/s have broken into a silver coloured Renault Traffic motor vehicle that was parked at Cashmore Road, Kenilworth. The offenders have then made off from the vehicle in an unknown direction.

This is crime reference 23/46257/24

Theft from Motor Vehicle

Please be aware that between 1900hrs on Monday 28 October and 0730hrs on Tuesday 29 October 2024 offender/s have entered a motor vehicle by unknown means that was parked at Moorlands Avenue, Kenilworth and stolen a number of items, including a disabled badge, that were inside the vehicle.

This is crime reference 23/46278/24

Vehicle Interference

Please be aware that between 1940hrs on Monday 28 October and 0620hrs on Tuesday 29 October 2024 offender/s have interfered and gained entry by unknown means to a motor vehicle parked at St Nicholas Avenue, Kenilworth. The vehicle was subjected to a search by the offenders who left the scene without taking anything.

This is crime reference 23/ 46286/24

Further Advice

These latest and further events since the weekend highlight the need to take extra precautions and deterrents to protect high value motor vehicles that are the subject of interest by criminals. Currently, the motor vehicles most at risk and most sought after by criminals are Land Rover/Range Rovers, Audi Q3’s and BMW series.

Kenilworth Watch advises;

  • The use of visible robust steering locks such as Disclock.
  • Ensure any keys with a remove unlocking ability are placed in a Faraday box or pouch within the home.
  • Do not leave vehicle keys close to a front door or on show within a property.
  • Change door locks on your property to Anti Snap locks which is a major deterrent to potential intruders being able to enter your home.
  • Consider CCTV coverage where a vehicle is parked that alerts if movement in the area is detected.
  • Fit a tracking system to the vehicle if one was not fitted when the vehicle was manufactured.

If you think you may have seen or heard anything, have any CCTV footage, dashcam footage or any information about either of these incidents please contact Warwickshire Police on 101.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111