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Five transit van break-in incidents were reported earlier this week in Boston.

Lincolnshire Police have received five reports of break-in incidents involving transit vans which took place overnight on 15 to 16 October in the Boston area.

The force took to social media want to warn residents and visitors about the circumstances so you can take steps to keep your property secure.

In one of the incidents on Willoughby Road, two people wearing dark clothing and balaclavas were captured by doorbell footage looking into the front of a Ford transit van. Their movements toward the side of the van activated a security light which disturbed them, and they made off in the direction of Phileys Lane.

A black Vauxhall Vivaro was broken into on Welland Road, power tools were taken from the van. A second, silver, Vauxhaull Vivaro was also broken into on the same road, but nothing was taken.

The owner of a Ford transit van which was parked on the road outside of the house on Woad Farm Road found their van had had a hole drilled through the van lock on the side of the door and power tools had been stolen.

Another Ford transit van was targeted on Wyberton West Road, whose owner who had also found a drill hole at the side of the van’s door, next to the lock to gain entry. Again, power tools were taken.

In all cases it is believed the thieves were targeting vans they thought contained power tools. The vehicles being targeted appear to be predominantly Ford transit vans, but we suspect any ‘work vans’ potentially storing valuable tools overnight could be a target.
We would urge everyone who owns these kinds of vans to think about their security. Officers have launched an investigation, and while keeping an open mind about the circumstances and people responsible, we are considering whether they are linked.

Crime prevention recommendations:

• Look at your locks and see if they are old, and whether they fit flush with the exterior of the door. If they seem older, and don’t look like a flush fit to the outside of the door, consider changing them to a Secured By Design 3* TS007 Euro cylinder lock. You can find a local locksmith on the Master Locksmiths Association website.

• We recommend Immobilise where you can log your valuables and record serial numbers – this helps in our investigations and means you are more likely to get your property back if it’s stolen.

• By becoming part of your local Neighbourhood Watch, you’ll be joining other like-minded neighbours who, by keeping their eyes and ears open, help to keep potential criminals out of the area.

• Where feasible park vehicles under streetlights or install PIR security lighting on your properties (PIR, passive infrared lighting uses an infrared sensor to detect movement and turn on lights) which is a good deterrent for prospective criminals.

For more information about reducing your risk of burglary, visit our website section on crime prevention.

Find out more about our Beating Burglary Together campaign which sets out our commitment to give an insight into how we tackle burglary, raise awareness of where incidents are happening, and provide crime prevention and security advice.

If you have any information about any of the burglaries mentioned above, or have noticed something suspicious in your area, please get in touch by emailing bostontown@lincs.police.uk or report an incident via 101. Always call 999 if there is a crime in progress.

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