Officers would like to praise a member of the public who took proactive crime prevention steps following reports of an attempted burglary from a garage on St Mary’s Road in Hartley Wintney.

Between 6pm on Wednesday 19 January and 6.30am on Thursday 20 January, entry was gained to a garage after an unknown offender/s forced the door open.

A van was inside but nothing was stolen because the owner had parked the vehicle in such a way that the rear doors were against the back wall of the garage.

The side door of the vehicle was also against the side wall, making it very difficult for anyone to access the van.

Officers would like to highlight this incident to remind vehicle owners to consider parking in this way in a bid to prevent any items from being taken during a break-in.

Temporary Chief Inspector Kirsten Troman, district commander for Hart & Rushmoor, said: “As this incident shows, parking a vehicle in a particular way inside a garage can make it more difficult for burglars to steal items.

“We would like to remind owners to consider crime prevention advice when parking and securing their vehicles.

“I would like to praise the owner in this particular incident for taking crime prevention steps so nothing was stolen from their property.”

Officers would also like to issue other crime prevention tips to local residents:

Consider a battery-operated alarm. They look low key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren.Do not give people the opportunity or the tools to commit a crime. Lock everything away securely. Tools can be locked inside a locker or box or secured with a chain.Secure your bike to the ground or a lockable stand within a locked shed or garage. Visit Sold Secureto search for ground anchors and other locks designed to fix to floors and walls.It is always worth draping an old sheet or blanket over the top of mowers or bikes to keep them covered from view.Although it might sound like stating the obvious, never leave your garage or shed door unlocked if you’re not around.Property marking your items is advisable and some tools can be painted with your name or postcode. Forensic marking is also an option. 

If anyone has any information relating to the attempted burglary mentioned above, please contact 101 quoting the reference number 44220026440.