Two cars stolen while owners leave them running to defrost

Police are warning people not to leave their cars unattended whilst defrosting the windows after two incidents where thieves have stolen cars in North Hertfordshire.

The first incident occurred yesterday when offender(s) stole a blue Lexus which was left running while the owner went back inside her house. The second incident happened in the same way this morning where the offender(s) made off with a BMW X5.

Chief Inspector for Welwyn Hatfield, Fiona Gaskell said: "I appreciate that it can be time consuming to de-ice your windows and that the easy option is to leave your car running whilst you're doing other things in your home.

"However, as we have seen with these recent incidents, this can leave you extremely vulnerable to opportunistic thieves. It takes just a couple of seconds for someone to jump in and make off with your vehicle.

"Most insurance companies won't cover you if your car is stolen in this way.

"The best advice is not to leave your car unattended with the engine running. Stay with your car at all times and be vigilant of suspicious activity."