MOTORISTS in Droitwich are being warned not to leave their car keys on view at home after two high-value vehicles were stolen by burglars.

Thieves snatched ignition keys through a letterbox and a kitchen window in two separate incidents in the town.

In the first, an orange Mercedes C220 Coupe (HV03 ZMU) was taken from an address in Sandles Road, between 3.30am and 6am last Tuesday.

It is believed the keys, which disappeared from a hall table, were stolen through the letterbox.

A blue BMW 330CI convertible (BF51 SXT) was taken from an address in Tagwell Road, between midnight and 7.30am last Wednesday. A kitchen widow was opened and the keys were snatched from a sideboard top.

The two recent thefts follow a third incident - between 5pm and 5.30pm on Thursday, March 4, when a blue diesel Range Rover (AI DEN) was stolen from an address in Falcon Close. A stone was thrown through a front door window to gain access to the keys.

"These three offences emphasise that these types of offences can and do happen at any time of the day and are not restricted to purely night-time," said a police spokesman.

"As burglars become ever-more resourceful, it is important for householders not to make it any easier for them by advertising where their car keys are kept.

"As a deterrent to prying eyes, it is advisable to always put them out of sight, both during daylight hours and the hours of darkness.

"As the lighter nights begin we would urge householders to remain vigilant as to where they leave such crucial items as vehicle and property keys."

Anyone who knows anything about the three incidents should contact the police on 08457 444 888, quoting incident number 132S/230304 for the first incident, 72S/240304 for the second or 51S/040304 for the third.