Camden and Islington drivers are being told to stay alert
Exasperated residents in several upmarket London neighbourhoods are being forced to store their parcel shelves indoors after a wave of “steal-to-order” break-ins.
People living in Primrose Hill, Kentish Town and Highgate have discovered smashed rear windows and missing shelves over recent months. The stolen items are believed to be flogged on second-hand websites for as much as £150 – far below their original retail price.
One victim, who asked not to be named, said his Mercedes was targeted at approximately 5:30am on July 12. The Highgate resident of four years claims the break-ins are especially common along North Hill, View Road, and Church Road, typically occurring every Friday evening. He alleges that criminals are cycling around on rental bikes, smashing windows, and flogging the shelves via eBay.
The 37-year-old resident explained: “I got a notification to my phone saying that my car had been broken into. They smashed the windscreen and only took the parcel shelf. I subsequently found out that some of the neighbours had been through the same.”
The resident added: “I took my car into the garage to get it fixed on the same day, and the gentlemen said that he had four of my style of car with the same issue. He said that people were selling parcel shelves on eBay, and they were going out on a steal-to-order basis. They go and smash in the rear-view glass and steal the parcel shelves to sell them on.”
Other vehicles targeted in the area include Hyundais, Minis, Jaguars, and Vauxhalls. Locals are now reportedly stashing their parcel shelves – replacements for which can cost hundreds of pounds – indoors overnight to safeguard their cars from the thieves.
An anonymous resident commented: “It is always shocking to hear these things, but it doesn’t surprise me. It is not only parcel shelves that people do these things with. Two weeks after my car was hit two of the neighbours were hit. I now keep my parcel shelves in the house. We felt it was safer to bring them in. All the neighbours are keeping watch for them.”
The Metropolitan Police shared information about the thefts on MetEngage, an online platform providing updates and details on local crime.
On the page, officers stated: “Having personal items stolen from your vehicle is an upsetting experience and we are determined to find and arrest those who break the law. Park your vehicle in a private garage if you can. If you do not have access to one, try to park in a well-lit open space. Try to use public car parks that are part of the police approved Park Mark safer parking scheme.”
The Highgate Society, a local association “established for the public benefit”, noted: “There has been a spate of recent thefts in the North Hill area. Five times in three weeks thieves have smashed the back windows of cars, mainly in daylight, and taken the parcel shelves. Presumably, this is to sell them online where prices are considerably less than the manufacturers’ price”.
They added: “It is sensible to park in sight of a camera, if available, and one possible way to beat the current spate could be to keep parcel shelves indoors for a few weeks and of course not to leave anything valuable in your car.”
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