Gardaí make urgent appeal following brazen theft of car in Kilkenny

A white Mercedes car was taken overnight last night (Sunday) from a housing estate in Ballyhale, County Kilkenny.

Gardaí are encouraging anybody who noticed suspicious activity to contact Thomastown Garda Station.

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GARDA ADVICE

An Garda Síochána recently made an appeal to motorists to park smart as new figures show that one-third of all vehicles broken into in residential areas had been left unlocked by the owner.

Figures from the Garda Analysis Service show that 8,571 vehicles parked at residential locations were broken into between 2015 and 2017. Of those, 2,824 were reported to be unlocked.

The analysis also shows that the most common location for these thefts was in driveways, and that half of the thefts occurred between 12 midnight and 7am. Such thefts are happening throughout the country.

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On average, over €340,000 worth of property was stolen from vehicles each year. Property stolen included cash, laptops, tools, sunglasses, jewellery and sports equipment.

Gardaí are appealing for all vehicle owners to ensure they lock their vehicle no matter where it is parked. Do not store valuables in the car, but if you do have to, keep them out of sight.

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According to the Garda Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit, the vast majority of cars illegally entered or stolen from are done so using the vehicle’s key. The vast majority of vehicles stolen continue to be taken with keys obtained in burglaries.

An Garda Síochána’s advice surrounding any vehicle keys would always be to avoid leaving them on the hall table or near a door/window where they could be easily taken.

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