A SPATE of car crimes has hit the Cookhams and owners of Volkswagens and Peugeots have been warned to be extra vigilant.

Police say that the thieves have been using a particular method which makes Peugeot 406s and Volkswagen Passats especially vulnerable.

Between January 15 and 31, there were 12 car crimes in Cookham, including everything from vandalism to car theft.

Kate Turner, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: "Thankfully this figure seems to have dropped off a bit.

"But what we are noticing is that people are still leaving things on display in their car which acts as a magnet to car thieves."

PC Les Bullion, Cookham beat officer, said he saw a fur coat left on the back seat of a car in the village this week.

He added: "Vehicle crime has risen in Cookham in the last couple of weeks and we are undertaking various initiatives at the moment which we can't discuss."

Mrs Turner warned that it was no longer safe to leave your belongings in the boot with many thieves breaking in to lift up the shelf.