Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells, Canterbury Police:

Canterbury Police are advising owners of Mazda Demios and Toyota Aquas to be vigilant, following a series of thefts targeting these car models across the wider Canterbury area.

Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells urges people to take preventative measures to help prevent their car from being stolen.

"The ignition systems in these models are not as robust as others, so once an offender gains entry to the car they can be taken relatively easily," he says.

"They also don't have immobilisers by default - we'd recommend that anyone 
who owns one of these vehicles gets one installed.

"An immobiliser can cost up to $500, but if your vehicle is stolen you are likely to pay a similar amount on excess on your insurance, let alone the inconvenience of having your vehicle stolen and the associated hassle of cancelling credit cards etc.

“In addition, ensure valuables and credit cards are removed from vehicles at night, particularly if cars are parked in the open. The best option still remains having your vehicle garaged if possible.”

Police are committed to actively investigating vehicle theft and holding offenders to account.

Anyone that sees suspicious activity around vehicles can call Police on 111 if it’s happening or 105 after the fact.

© Scoop Media