A 37-year-old man has been charged with thefts from cars and using stolen bank cards to commit a series of frauds.

Chris Holder of Worcester has been remanded in custody overnight after being charged with two thefts from cars and 10 frauds using stolen bank cards.

General police advice on car crime

DI Dave Knight, based at Worcester Police Station, has this week offered general advice on how vehicle owners can protect themselves from becoming the victims of car crime.

Worcester News: ADVICE: DI Dave Knight. ADVICE: DI Dave Knight. (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

He said: "In respect of thefts from vehicles I understand everyone leads busy lives and it’s not always easy to protect yourself from crime all the time.

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"It’s always worth checking your cars are locked before you go to bed. I’m sure most families have experienced children playing with keys and unlocking cars during the day.

"Try to imagine yourself as a thief and look in to your car with the mind-set of a criminal. Is there anything in there that looks tempting to steal? If so then remove it or hide it. If I ever have to leave a bag in a car I always try to cover it with a jacket or tuck it away out of sight.

"In terms of theft of vehicles, steering locks or gear stick lock devices are great at putting off and slowing down thieves. If you can, park your car in the garage. Keep your keys in Faraday bags so the signal from your keys is protected from interception."

If you see any suspicious behaviour then drivers are urged to report it to West Mercia Police.

If it's urgent (a crime in progress) then the public is advised to call 999.

Otherwise, police can be contacted on 101. Police are also always grateful to receive information about who is handling these stolen items and this can be done through 101 or calling/ online reporting to Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800555111 www.crimestoppers-uk.org.