to wish I had picked up the screwdriver.

[agedknees]

Went shopping to Sainsburys today. Parked the car. I was on my own as dh not well today.

Anyway, got back to the car and noticed a screwdriver on the floor. Kicked the screwdriver away from my tyre. When I was putting the food into the boot of the car I realised someone had been trying to take my reg number plate off.

Went back into Sainsbury's and got the Security man. We both walked over to my car but the screwdriver had gone - someone must have been watching me.

Am so mad that I did not pick up the screwdriver. It probably had fingerprints on it.

Security man said people steal number plates, put them on their own car, get petrol and do a runner!!

They probably would not fingerprint it, I had an intruder once in a student house who wielded a screwdriver at me. They tried to take some items and were on a spree across the city. No fingerprints were taken. Unfortunately I think it is seen as a waste of resources on 'smaller' incidents.

Hope you're feeling ok about it all now.

But number plate theft is not classed as minor crime as I reported an incident and I had a follow up call. Which surprised me because there was no evidence for them to collect and no real information except someon wearing gloves seen trying to get front number plate off.

And its not just for petrol that these number plates are used for. So it often investigated but sometimes not for a couple of days.

OP have you reported it to the police? If not do so using the non emergency police phone number. This is something that they are very keen to track!!!!

Did not think of reporting it to the police as I assumed the security guard would do it?

~But as he did not take any details, he probably won't. Will give them a phone.

Even if he had reported it to the police it wouldnt have hurt for you to report it too.

OP - are you anywhere near Oldham? My cousin and uncle who live there had the number plates stolen yesterday morning.

I had my handbag stolen (from near me, not violently) and had 2 follow up calls from the police. Think it's just the standard procedure to do follow up calls. (Was pleasantly surprised by them, even though I knew there was nothing they could do.)

DH's number plate vanished one day, we assumed it had fallen off... had the police turn up many months later and turns out it had been used to steal petrol. So always worth reporting they've been pinched I think...

Mermaid - yes, I live in Manchester. Might be a gang?

There are multiple gangs doing all over the place, but especially in places in a big city. i know the police were glad it was reported because they were building up a profile of how the gang that does it round here is working.
This is why i said you need to report it.

sorry hit post too soon

this is why i said you need to report it even if they hadnt taken the plates.

They might be able to pin point the gang's favourite operational spots and target them for action.

Could be, just my cousin mentioned that he'd heard of it happening to a few people in the Manchester area.