Police promise patrols amid spate of vehicle break-ins

POLICE have told residents they are investigating a spate of vehicle break-ins in several New Milton streets amid complaints officers were taking no action.

Angry members of the public took to social media to express their frustration at a lack of visible response by the force to the incidents which have seen a number of car and vans damaged and some tools stolen.

Offenders partially ripped a side panel from a van parked off Ferndale Road in a failed attempt to gain entry in one of a series of break-in and vandalism incidents during Sunday night.

Other streets said to have been hit that night include Marston Road, Derwent Road and Keswick Road. Some garages were also reportedly targeted.

One resident commented: “[It’s] really frustrating how there are people who have invested the majority of their money into tools and vans, etc, and they get broken into and tools stolen and the police do not even show up, what is going on.”

Some residents unhappy at what they perceived as a lack of response from officers even suggested setting up private security patrols to police the streets at night.

One wrote: “It’s getting beyond a joke now.

“I’ll take a late night patrol or two during the week if anybody wants to set something up. The police are f-ing useless!”

But some other residents took to the comments sections on the posts to point out they had seen police carrying out enquiries in the streets in the days following the offences.

A Hampshire police spokesperson told the A&T officers would continue to target the affected areas as part of ongoing patrols.

“We can confirm that we’re aware of a small number of reports of thefts from motor vehicles in the New Milton area in recent days,” the spokesperson said.

“Our specialist officers have been on patrol in the local area overnight and enquiries with the victims are ongoing as we continue to investigate these incidents.

“Our officers are continuing to monitor these areas as part of their routine patrols.”