Scottish police fight back against car thieves

Police in Scotland have recovered a stolen vehicle after a spate of car thefts in recent weeks.

The Ford Mondeo ST was abandoned by thieves on the M80 at Haggs after being followed by police for a short period of time and is part of an ongoing police operation to target criminals stealing top of the range vehicles from central Scotland.

The majority of thefts took place after keys were stolen from people's homes and the situation was thought serious enough to warrant a special highly visible patrol to police the area on an intelligence-led basis.

Chief inspector Donald McMillan said: "This successful recovery of a stolen vehicle was as a direct result of the policing plan put in place to specifically target this type of crime and should highlight to anyone thinking about coming into the central Scotland police area to commit these crimes that they had better think twice."

Car owners are advised not only to make sure their vehicles are fitted with adequate alarm systems but also to enforce security around their homes to prevent break-ins.