Tyre marks stop thefts
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• Hauliers are being urged to put identifying marks on their tyres and wheels in a bid to stamp out a rising tide of thefts.
This month alone Northumbria police have recovered 60 stolen tyres and wheels v.rorth about .50,000 and say they have identified up to 40 other tyres and wheels which they believe to have been stolen.
Three men were charged with CV tvre and wheel theft offences at the beginning of this month; they have been committed for crown court trial.
Police believe that most of the thefts happen at weekends and evenings, when trucks and trailers are more likely to be unattended. Common targets are lorry parks and truckstops.
Theft blackspots have been identified around the Scottish border, Liverpool, Whitehaven, Penrith, Grimsby, Im mingham and Cambridge.
"Trucks and trailers are easy targets,' says D/Sgt Ian Smith who points out that a thief who sells a wheel for a quarter of its value could still pocket about £100.
He advises hauliers to protect themselves by marking their company logo or other identifying symbol on tyres and wheels and to keep a record of the unique number stamped on every tyre.
Hauliers in the county who have had wheels or tyres stolen should contact 091-567 6155, extension 7544.