Car boss slams '˜lacklustre and defeatist' police

A Leighton Buzzard car dealership who suffered an office break-in was dismayed to find cars on his forecourt dramatically '˜stripped' just days later.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Feb 2016, 14:35 BST
Updated 29th Feb 2016, 14:39 BST
Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their partsTwo Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts
Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts

Now Jamie Derbyshire, who owns Free Spirit Automotive Ltd, says he feels let down by Beds Police’s “lacklustre” response to the incidents at the company’s Chartmoor Road base.

Mr Derbyshire reported both crimes, but feels more could have been done to investigate the offences.

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The office was broken into on Friday, January 29, and Mr Derbyshire said: “I believe they were looking for keys for the cars, it triggered the alarms and the police came out.

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Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their partsTwo Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts
Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts

“Six days later we found two of our cars in the display area had been stripped during the night, without triggering any building alarms.

“We have since alarmed our car display area so that any trespassers out of hours cannot move around freely without triggering disturbingly loud audible alarms all around the premises at various locations.”

The business owner found two sets of headlights, matching the ones on the stripped cars, for sale in a breakers yard in Luton, on eBay.

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He told the LBO: “The police did not seem to care when we told them what we had discovered. Two different styles of headlights from two different cars that were stolen, up for sale less than a day later.

Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their partsTwo Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts
Two Vauxhall cars were stripped of their parts

“We did more than the police following the incident and the way they dealt with everything left me feeling like they were not interested.

“In my opinion the police are passively encouraging this type of criminal activity by their defeatist lacklustre approach allowing these thieves to thrive as there is no serious interest in catching them.

“I would like to offer a £2,000 reward to anyone giving information that leads to arrest and conviction of the thieves that stole our vehicle parts. It is important that these people are caught before they do more damage.”

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A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Police said: “Officers pursued all lines of enquiry for both incidents which included checking CCTV cameras and viewing all available footage.

The office was broken into on the Friday and five days later two cars were stripped for partsThe office was broken into on the Friday and five days later two cars were stripped for parts
The office was broken into on the Friday and five days later two cars were stripped for parts

“Scenes of crime investigators also attended, and officers conducted enquiries with potential witnesses.

“Anyone with any information is asked to call 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800555111.

“We have not received a complaint from Mr Derbyshire and we would encourage him to contact us directly if he would like us to investigate his claims.”