Three people from Stevenage have been arrested and charged with 24 offences following a spate of thefts from motor vehicles in the town.

Joseph McDonald and Lorraine Miller – who are both from Longcroft Road – were arrested yesterday after a warrant was issued at their address by officers from the Operation Scorpion team.

McDonald, 41, was charged with 14 offences relating to theft from vehicles, fraud and handling stolen goods.

Miller, 47, was charged with seven offences relating to handling stolen goods and interfering with vehicles.

Both have been bailed until April 27 when they are due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court.

Daniel Lloyd, of Canterbury Way, was arrested on Thursday, March 10, after officers carried out a routine stop. He was arrested on suspicion of theft after suspected stolen items were found in his rucksack.

The 23-year-old was charged with two offences of theft from a vehicle and one offence of possession of cannabis. He was subsequently recalled to prison.

Det Insp Hannah Mann said: “I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to remove your personal possessions from your vehicle and make sure it is locked and secure when you leave it unattended.

“We know that many cars are not only left unlocked, but also have many items left in them.

“This kind of behaviour is just a green light to would be thieves, many of whom will just take whatever they can find.

“If you leave anything on display you are inviting thieves to chance their luck.

“We are also seeing a rise in the theft of external car parts such as wing mirrors. Yesterday alone we had four wing mirrors stolen. Minis seem to be the prime target.

“Although there is little you can do to protect your car from this kind of theft, you can help us catch those responsible.

“If you have been offered such an item for sale or know of anyone who is selling wing mirrors, please contact 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

“We are also asking residents to be extra vigilant, check your car if you hear an alarm going off and report any suspicious activity immediately.”