CARELESS motorists whose vehicles are "shop windows" for opportunist thieves have left a York beat officer at the end of his tether.

He has hit out at residents and visitors who leave valuable items on display in their cars and vans for passing criminals to see.

The number of thefts from unattended vehicles in the city centre of York has risen in recent months and police are determined to drive down numbers again. Part of the rise is blamed on a wave of car crime in The Groves, a residential neighbourhood that also has a number of large visitor car parks.

PC Howard Smelt-Webb, who is responsible for the area, said he was "very disappointed" with the figures.

He visited Foss Bank car park with an Evening Press reporter and found that a third of 30 parked vehicles had items including briefcases, handbags, coats and sports equipment left inside.

He said: "These people must realise that although today it is only a local policeman looking in their car, tomorrow it could well be a thief. While I'm pleased that the majority of cars are secure and empty, it is disappointing to find cars with property inside.

"Many of these cars might well have a sticker on them saying 'please steal from me'. The message is simple - take all valuables out of your car."

In September alone, 14 cars were broken into in the neighbourhood and items including hundreds of CDs, an antique brass statue and laptop computers stolen.

Officers point out that thieves will not hesitate from breaking into vehicles for common items, such as coats, shopping bags and even baby seats if they think that other valuables might be inside.

Other crimes committed in The Groves in September include four burglaries, two of which took place via unlocked front doors, and the theft of four bicycles.

Items stolen from vehicles in The Groves in September include:

Three mobile phones

Hundreds of CDs

An antique brass statue

Two briefcases and two handbags

A toothbrush and clothes

One laptop computer.

Those thefts occurred in:

Foss Bank car park - 2

Penleys Grove Street - 2

Agar Street - 2

Monkgate - 3

As well as Garden Street, Park Grove, Lowther Street and Jackson Street.

Updated: 09:03 Monday, November 15, 2004