- Mobile site
- E-Newsletters
-
- News feed
- Find us on Twitter
@dailyecho
Daily Echo on Twitter
@the_saints
Saints News on Twitter
SceneSouth
Leisure news on Twitter
- Find us on Facebook
Facebook
Daily Echo on Facebook
Raiders steal six top cars in just 48 hours (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Raiders target homes with expensive cars over Jubilee weekend
11:50am Thursday 7th June 2012 in Eastleigh
By Tara Russell, Feature Writer
A BMW 7 Series, similar to the one stolen.
A GANG of burglars raided homes of treasured possessions before stealing top-of-the-range cars worth nearly £175,000 from driveways across Hampshire.
The thieves forced their way into homes across the county in a 48-hour spree as householders and their families were sleeping.
They grabbed car keys and took valuable vehicles parked outside before fleeing.
But while they were inside each home the brazen burglars stole a haul of valuable items from each of the homes.
One victim was 28-year-old Royal Marine Paul Moxom, who has been left devastated after a watch presented to him after he served in a tour in Afghanistan, during which colleagues were killed and hurt, was stolen.
Detectives have today urged people to secure their doors at night and keep car keys out of view.
The first three raids began in the early hours of Friday as the country began to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend.
Chalvington Road in Chandler’s Ford, and Holly Gardens and Lime Gardens, both in West End, were targeted within hours.
The gang forced open doors or reached through letterboxes to pull down the handle to get inside.
Inside they swiped the keys and stole a black Land Rover Range Rover Sport worth £25,000, a black Mercedes CLS worth £54,000 and a black Range Rover Sport Estate worth £25,000.
Just 48 hours later in the early hours of Sunday the burglars targeted Southampton.
Marine Paul Moxom’s home in Fuchsia Gardens was targeted and his white Mark II RS Focus valued at £29,000 was driven away.
They ended their spree at a home in Atherley Court where they stole two high-value cars – a grey BMW 1 series and a white BMW 7 series, valued at £40,000.
The haul from the five homes also included laptops, iPhones, iPads, jewellery, watches including a Titanium Breitling Chronometre Aerospace, a set of Titleist golf clubs and even an electric golf cart.
Police believe that at least three offenders are in the gang and they could have visited the areas before the burglaries to survey the houses they wanted to target.
Investigating officer DC Jeff Cox said: “This should have been a long weekend of celebration. Instead, a number of victims have had their homes violated and property of a valuable and personal nature stolen.
“The burglars have been very quiet to search around the ground floors while people are sleeping upstairs – they are obviously very capable.
“We don’t know why these particular addresses have been targeted – only that the two in West End are relatively close to each other and the two in Southampton are relatively close to each other.
“The one thing we can say is that high-value cars have been targeted in each case.
“They all had visible cars that were not in garages and we are asking the public did you see anyone cruising around beforehand?
“We’re asking people to think about when they were in those areas – maybe they saw people around, perhaps doing a preparatory visit?”
Police would not speculate as to what may have happened to the cars, some of which are quite distinctive, after they were stolen.
DC Cox said: “It could be that someone has seen one of these cars and not realised what they have seen – perhaps petrol station workers or night workers who are out and about late in the evening.”
Anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious, or believes they saw the gang driving around or targeting homes overnight on Friday and Sunday, is asked to call Eastleigh CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments(28)
Georgem
says...
12:19pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Willy47 wrote:What a load of nonsense. Crime was down. Nobody said "All crime eradicated forever".
So much for crime being down during the jubilee.
Saints+Wigan fan
says...
12:21pm Thu 7 Jun 12
voicein the croud
says...
12:30pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Perhaps compulsary tour of duty in Afganistan could be arranged for them when caught.
good-gosh
says...
12:31pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Willy47
says...
12:32pm Thu 7 Jun 12
I just found it quite amusing how they wrote an article about crime going down and then put this up soon after.
But i do apologize for having a sense of humour, perhaps you would like to borrow it sometime?
ohec
says...
12:41pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Huey
says...
12:42pm Thu 7 Jun 12
WECOMING4U
says...
12:45pm Thu 7 Jun 12
beesdee
says...
1:16pm Thu 7 Jun 12
southy
says...
1:47pm Thu 7 Jun 12
beesdee wrote:The wheel base is longer for the sport Estate, Sport more than likely only 2 door.
So, what's the difference between a 'Range Rover Sport' and a 'Range Rover Sport Estate'?! Coincidentally, they're worth the same it seems.
Georgem
says...
1:54pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Willy47 wrote:Nah, I'll stick with my own, thanks. It's amused by things that are actually funny.
Woah sorry Georgem, don't think that is what i said was it?
I just found it quite amusing how they wrote an article about crime going down and then put this up soon after.
But i do apologize for having a sense of humour, perhaps you would like to borrow it sometime?
Mr sheep
says...
2:01pm Thu 7 Jun 12
chrisvangeffen
says...
2:04pm Thu 7 Jun 12
Saints+Wigan fan wrote:I too am a Saints and Wigan fan, I am from soton and the better half is wiganish.
I will wait up tonight as one was stolen not to far from. ill have my sledge hammer ready :)
dango
says...
2:08pm Thu 7 Jun 12
good-gosh wrote:are you suggesting it's their own fault because they have an upmarket car?
Never buy a posh car
timjim
says...
2:16pm Thu 7 Jun 12
good-gosh
says...
2:39pm Thu 7 Jun 12
dango wrote:Hi Dango.
good-gosh wrote:are you suggesting it's their own fault because they have an upmarket car?
Never buy a posh car
The fault lies entirely with the thief of course, but the trick is always to avoid attract them.
So I was suggesting that it's folly to have a posh car on show.
They are a magnet for vandals as well as thieves.
bigfella777
says...
2:41pm Thu 7 Jun 12
dango
says...
3:16pm Thu 7 Jun 12
good-gosh wrote:ah understood, thanks, they haven't been round for my Skoda, shame as I could use the insurance! ;)
dango wrote:Hi Dango.
good-gosh wrote:are you suggesting it's their own fault because they have an upmarket car?
Never buy a posh car
The fault lies entirely with the thief of course, but the trick is always to avoid attract them.
So I was suggesting that it's folly to have a posh car on show.
They are a magnet for vandals as well as thieves.
Frank28
says...
3:34pm Thu 7 Jun 12
J.P.M
says...
7:20pm Thu 7 Jun 12
chrisvangeffen wrote:Thanks for that relevant comment!
Saints+Wigan fan wrote:I too am a Saints and Wigan fan, I am from soton and the better half is wiganish.
I will wait up tonight as one was stolen not to far from. ill have my sledge hammer ready :)
dogbruce
says...
9:49pm Thu 7 Jun 12
southampton999
says...
10:08pm Thu 7 Jun 12
southampton999
says...
10:10pm Thu 7 Jun 12
southampton999 wrote:Sorry for the dreadful typos!!!
I have been a near victim of these type of gangs in the past. First time they had my keys through the letterbox and were trying to start a car with the wrong key. I chased them and the police turned up and arrested them, they were in another stolen car. The CPS did not prosecute as 'i may have given them the keys'!!! Next time with the alsrm set downstairs and all the internal doors locked (keys in my bed) We caught them trying the door and phones the police as they were breaking in. They got six months!! The last time our new dog scared them off but not before they broke the drivers door and were suing a laptop to start the car. Never caught them. I have been told that this lot are Albanians and are armed with guns so very dangerous. They have had loads of cars (mercs)before the Echo reported it today.
ejulier
says...
11:50pm Thu 7 Jun 12
southampton999
says...
12:33am Fri 8 Jun 12
ejulier wrote:As another near victim, I agree with you. These people are scum and should be treated as such. They have absolutely no right to go anywhere near anybody's property. I too have 3 young children who have also been sleeping when they have tried to steal our cars. My suggestion is get a dog!! They can sense when people are up to no good. They will alert you and the thieves!!
we were one of the victims and feel the comment about the fact we shouldn't have expensive cars is thoughtless. Regardless to what car we have does not give anyone the right to break into my home whilst my family including young children are sleeping. I hope they get caught and people should realise and think how the VICTIMS are feeling!!!!!
good-gosh
says...
10:12am Fri 8 Jun 12
southampton999 wrote:I truly sympathise with victims of robbery. I had a car stolen 15 years ago by joy-riders who wrecked it. That was a Ford, which, in the old days, could easily be hot-wired to start without the key. Unfortunately, we have always had to live with thieves in our streets and for that reason I have kept to Fords because they are common on the road and therefore less attractive to thieves. If there were no thieves, I would buy something like a Bentley sports saloon with every imaginable comfort feature inside - and use it daily for 25 or more years.
ejulier wrote:As another near victim, I agree with you. These people are scum and should be treated as such. They have absolutely no right to go anywhere near anybody's property. I too have 3 young children who have also been sleeping when they have tried to steal our cars. My suggestion is get a dog!! They can sense when people are up to no good. They will alert you and the thieves!!
we were one of the victims and feel the comment about the fact we shouldn't have expensive cars is thoughtless. Regardless to what car we have does not give anyone the right to break into my home whilst my family including young children are sleeping. I hope they get caught and people should realise and think how the VICTIMS are feeling!!!!!
Condor Man
says...
3:11pm Fri 8 Jun 12
Willy47 says...
12:04pm Thu 7 Jun 12