Police are continuing to carry out proactive work and issue crime prevention advice following a spate of vehicle thefts in Wiltshire.

Officers have seen an increase in motocross bikes being stolen from secure sheds and garages and have been working hard to both apprehend offenders and help ensure people don’t fall victim to this type of offence.

Last month, Benjamin Harper, 25, of Hartcliffe in Bristol, was jailed for 14 months at Salisbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary.

These offences occurred in the Trowbridge area in May last year and involved two motocross bikes being stolen from securely locked sheds.

PC Ben Williams, from the Operation Fortitude team, which has been proactively targeting offenders believed to be involved in this sort of crime, welcomed the sentence.

“We know that these sorts of burglaries cause frustration, anger and financial harm to motorbike owners and we have been working hard to communicate with the motocross community to highlight the dangers of their bikes being targeted through social media, selling sites and bike shows.

“We would urge owners to be incredibly vigilant when attending these sorts of events or advertising bikes for sale over the internet or social media.

“Our advice would be to always be cautious, especially if you are trying to arrange to sell a bike, to make sure you aren’t inadvertently highlighting your valuable bike to potential criminals who might then try to steal it.

“The same goes for other vehicles, as well as scooters and pushbikes, and if you own a valuable vehicle then please consider investing in a tracking device to attach to your hard-earned property.

“We want to help ensure your property is as secure as possible and, should the worst ever happen, you have done everything within your power to ensure your bike is located.”

Wiltshire Police recently disclosed that two motorcycles had been stolen in burglaries in Trowbridge earlier this month.

On Wednesday, May 11, at around 11pm, a motorbike worth £6,000 was stolen from an outbuilding in Silver Street.

Offenders caused damage to the building to gain access before making off with the motorbike.

During the early hours of Monday, May 16, a Kawasaki motorbike was stolen from a locked garage in Jasmine Way – the garage door was damaged by offenders when they broke in.

Please report suspicious activity to Wiltshire Police by visiting their website or calling 101.