Watch: Thieves steal a van from Bearwood industrial estate in seconds

West Midlands Police have issued an appeal after a vehicle was stolen in Bearwood. The incident took place last month with the thieves breaking into the white van parked in a street on an industrial estate in a matter of seconds.

The footage shows the two men clearly breaking into the Mercedes Sprinter parked on Sydney Road 23 August at 1am. In the video, one of the men, dressed in a black and grey hoodie, can be seen walking to the van and using a tool to open the door. Another man follows soon and he is dressed in a blue hoodie. Both get into the van and were able to start it. They quickly drove away with the vehicle.

“We need your help to identify these men after a van was stolen in #Birmingham last month. The Mercedes Sprinter was taken from an industrial estate on Sydney Road. It happened at 1am on 23 August. If you recognise them, contact us via Live Chat quoting 20/750187/2,” the police said today.

“Car theft is a force priority for us and @Trafficwmp patrol around the clock responding to suspicious activity. Here’s some tips to help us tackle vehicle theft: Always keep your car locked. Use a steering lock. Put your keys or fob in a Faraday bag overnight,” the West Midlands Police tweeted.

The police needs your help to identify these men. If you recognise them, contact them via Live Chat quoting 20/750187/22. You can get in touch with them on their website here.

Data from West Midlands Police has revealed Alfa Romeos, Fords, Abarths, Land Rovers and Range Rovers are the most likely cars to be stolen in the region. Nearly one in 10 Abarths, registered in the region, were stolen in 2021 suggesting thieves are targeting these vehicles. For every 1,000 Alfa Romeos, Fords, Range Rovers and Land Rovers, 15 were stolen.

They believe majority of thefts are carried out by criminals who are able to get around the onboard electronic security systems by copying digital keys, boosting a car fob signal to trick the car into opening its doors and starting its engine or using electronic devices to stop a car from locking in the first place.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going