Police warning after 'sat nav' thefts

In the Littlehampton area, a total of nine such units, each costing hundreds of pounds, have been stolen so far this month, all from roads near to the near to the A259.

Eight of the cars were parked on the roadway or in the driveways of houses between Angmering and Climping and the ninth was taken from the car park of Sainsbury's in Rustington.

One unit was taken from Yapton, one from Angmering, another from Climping and five from various roads in Littlehampton, all between May 2 and 6.

Similar incidents have also been reported in Worthing.

All the thefts took place between 3am-7am. The windows of the cars were smashed or their doors forced open, causing further damage to the car.

At the incident in Angmering, a young man wearing a hooded top was seen to drive away in a blue Ford Mondeo-type car.

Sgt peter Allan of Littlehampton police said: "Motorists are advised to remove their sat nav systems at night along with any sign that they have been there, including the mark often left on the windscreen by the suction cup on the mounting.

"All valuables should be removed from a car at night and certainly not left on display. Owners should also make a note of serial numbers for identification purposes."

Anybody offered cheap sat navs is advised to decline and report the matter to PC Bernadette Clark at Littlehampton on 0845 60 70 999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.