NIGHT patrols aimed at catching car thieves in Crouch End have proved unsuccessful

Charlotte Newton

NIGHT patrols aimed at catching car thieves in Crouch End have proved unsuccessful.

The area's Safer Neighbour-hoods team went out from 10pm until 6am on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week hoping to catch unsuspecting car crooks in action.

But despite a spate of break-ins over the New Year along Crouch Hill and Crouch Hall Road, Shepherd's Hill and Claremont, the teams came back empty handed.

Sergeant John McGrath said: "No vehicle crimes at all were reported over the three night period and no burglaries either. The team was very pro-active, stopping and searching a high number of well known individuals and patrolling the hotspot areas.

"We intend to repeat this tactic again in the coming weeks however we have to be mindful of our other priorities and responsibilities that require our presence at other times."

Criminals have still been active in the past two weeks, with a spate of burglaries in the area.

Opportunistic thieves spotted a kitchen window open in Topsfield Parade, between 3pm and 5.50pm last Wednesday. They entered the house and stole a laptop.

Then in Crouch Hill at 12.30pm on Friday of last week, thieves forced open a rear kitchen window and stole another computer.

Also on Friday, but this time in Bryanstone Road, thieves unlocked the front door and stole car keys, the family car, a wallet and mobile phone.

Sgt McGrath warned residents: "It's important to ensure all the security measures you do have in place are utilised. In this case, the front door was fitted with a chubb lock that wasn't used. The keys for the family car were taken and the vehicle driven away."

The Park Road Leisure Centre was also burgled overnight.

Sgt McGrath will be at the Area Assembly meeting which is taking place at Coleridge School on January 30. Anyone wishing to contact him should telephone 0784 306 5865 or 020-8649 3515.

editorial@hamhigh.co.uk