Vehicle thefts are accelerating in the district - with 60 instances reported in the last two weeks.

The large number of thefts have been recorded in St Albans, Harpenden and London Colney, half of which were from unsecured vehicles.

Det Insp Pete Frost said that the items stolen from vehicles not only mean monetary loss, but they are often irreplaceable.

He added: “Most of us store a huge amount of information on our mobile phones, laptops, and iPads, and the frustration of it being in someone else’s hands is unnerving.”

He said that victims often complain of lost photographs or documents which they cannot get back.

Det Insp Frost went on: “The sad thing is that the majority of these crimes could have been prevented.”

The inspector honed in on the message ‘if you don’t lock it, you may lose it’. He went on: “Lock windows and doors and make sure you remove all your personal possessions from view taking them with you.

“If you leave them in the vehicle they are at risk of being stolen.”

He urged people who see anyone acting suspiciously or selling suspect technology, to contact Herts Police on the non-emergency number 101.