‘He was looking into every window’: Warning issued over car thefts in Leeds student area

Residents of the LS6 postcode area in Leeds have been urged to stay vigilant after a recent spate of car break-ins. 

The issue was flagged by Tim Goodall, the local councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park, in a TikTok post.

In the video, he warned residents about an increase in thefts from vehicles in Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and advised car owners on how to reduce their risk of being targeted. 

Speaking to The Leeds Tab, Will, a recent graduate living in Headingley, said his car had been victimised twice. 

On the first occasion, Will noticed his car light had been left on and the door was open. After checking the vehicle, he discovered six cans of Monster Energy drink and a phone charger had been stolen. 

When his car was broken into a second time, Will noticed the items inside his car had been moved but nothing was taken.

Sophie, a University of Leeds student living in Woodhouse area, told The Leeds Tab about her experience witnessing an attempted car break-in outside her house.

She recalled seeing “a man looking into every car window on both sides of the road, obviously looking for valuables to steal.”

Luckily, this man did not gain entry to any of the cars on the street, but Sophie described how this incident “put us students on edge instantly” and prompted them to warn visiting family and friends when they parked their cars nearby. 

via Unsplash

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Crimes like these will regularly go unreported. Will, for example, said he “didn’t bother reporting” the theft from his car as no valuables were taken.

Lack of police response can also contribute to this, with another victim, Ellie, saying: “I reported the crime straight away through the police website” only to quickly receive an automated message telling her that the report would be dismissed due to “insufficient evidence.”

Tim Goodall informed The Leeds Tab that a man has been arrested by West Yorkshire Police and charged with theft from a vehicle. At this time, it is not clear whether any other car break-ins have been connected to this individual. 

He said: “The police have urged anyone who has experienced theft (or attempted theft) from their car to phone 101 to report details (or 999 if you see the crime as it is happening). Please do not leave anything on show in your car – it’s not just valuable items that are getting stolen, so leaving anything on show is attracting crime.”

The West Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.