Man arrested as police issue vehicle security warning to motorists in Watford

A man was arrested and a stolen vehicle recovered in Watford this morning (Friday 2 February) thanks to eagle-eyed residents who dialled 999.

Officers were called at around 2.20am after a person was seen trying to break into vehicles in the Nascot area of town.

A short while later, a 34 year old man from Watford was arrested on suspicion of vehicle interference and theft of a motor vehicle. He remains in police custody at this time.

The arrest is in connection with two incidents, the first being in Langley Road where a person attempted to break into a Honda CR-V, Ford Fiesta, a Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque.

The second was in Courtlands Drive, where a Citroen C4 was stolen and found abandoned with its engine running nearby. It was recovered by officers and returned to its registered owner.

Inspector Dan Jones, who leads the Watford Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We’d like to publicly thank the residents who called us on 999 without hesitation as it enabled us to attend immediately and make a timely arrest, as well as return the stolen vehicle to its registered owner, which is a fantastic result.

“However, we would like to reiterate to the wider public just how important it is to be 100% sure that their vehicles are locked before they’re left unattended. In one of these incidents, the targeted vehicle was left unlocked overnight with the car keys visible on the dashboard.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure motorists take every measure to secure their vehicles, because all it takes is an opportunist thief to try your car door handle and they have access to your property. Don’t make it easy for them.”

Advice on how to prevent your vehicle becoming a target for criminals can be found on the Hertfordshire Constabulary website (opens in new window).

If you suspect a crime is in progress or someone is in danger, always dial 999 and give the call operator as much information as possible without putting yourself at risk.

For non-urgent incidents, you can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Do you have a doorbell cam or CCTV? If so, we would love you to join CCTV Watch so we can contact you if a crime takes place in your street. Sign up to owl.co.uk/herts and select ‘CCTV Watch.’ 

You can use our community voice platform ‘echo’ to let us know what you think we should be prioritising in your area. Your feedback will help towards shaping our local policing priorities, initiatives and campaigns. Visit bit.ly/priorities-watford and tell us your thoughts.