Police to carry out spot checks on East Lancs taxis
1:05pm Friday 21st May 2010
Police are to carry out spot-checks on taxis as they believe thieves are hiring them to transport stolen goods around Burnley and Padiham.
Police said they believed that thieves were booking cabs to take them to and from break-ins. The ploy is used as their own vehicles can be traced using number plate tracking technology.
Inspector Nick Hodgeson, of Burnley Police said: “They have clearly caught on to some of the tactics we have been using and in particular to the fact that we know what sort of cars they drive and that if they are out and about late at night in those cars, they will be stopped.
“We are led to believe that they may be getting around this by using other vehicles, and in particular taxis, which we wouldn’t necessarily have cause to stop. However, we have news for them – we know what they are up to and we are on to them.”
Police said they had contacted Burnley Private Hire Association and local taxi operators to reassure them that they were not targeting drivers, who may be unaware that they have criminals on board with items including stolen cash, mobiles and small electrical goods.
Mohammed Arif, chairman of Burnley Private Hire Association, said: “We are very happy to support this police initiative and will be doing all we can, in partnership with local officers, to help ensure we keep crime low.”
Insp Hodgeson is urging taxi operators and residents to report any suspicious activity. He said: “There’s no escape for burglars in Burnley. We will use every tactic available at our disposal.”
Source; www.thisislancashire.co.uk
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