POLICE in Cheddar are putting leaflets on parked cars to cut the number of thefts from vehicles. Motorists are being warned to remove all valuables from their cars after vehicle thefts from cars went up by more than 40 per cent this summer compared to las

POLICE in Cheddar are putting leaflets on parked cars to cut the number of thefts from vehicles.Motorists are being warned to remove all valuables from their cars after vehicle thefts from cars went up by more than 40 per cent this summer compared to last year.Officers spotted more than 200 cars with valuables on display parked in Cheddar during one day last week.The leaflets warn drivers to remove all stereos, satellite navigation equipment and mobile phones from the car rather than just from view.Sgt Peter Yensen said: "Leaving these valuables in the car just invites thieves to break in and steal them."We've had one case where a man broke into a car in front of a family so they're not deterred by people being nearby."When we had a look around the cars we were amazed to see how many had mobile phones, stereos and satellite navigation in them."One in six car thefts are for satellite navigation equipment so we're advising people to remove the bracket that it sits in to stop thieves from searching cars for the devices."We believe most of the victims and thieves are not from this area, but some local people have been caught out."Parking attendants for Cheddar Gorge and Caves have been briefed by police to watch out for thieves roaming the area.