THIEVES have plundered almost 100 cars in Shoebury in just two months, stealing property worth thousands of pounds Police believe opportunists who creep up driveways and try the doors of parked cars are to blame for 98 reported incidents.

Sat navs, stereos, and even loose change, have been stolen from cars in Shoebury and Southchurch, between March 9 and May 9. PC Paul Hanson, neighbourhood specialist officer for Shoebury, said 63 of the cars appear to have been left unlocked at the time.

He added: “It literally takes just seconds, and makes hardly any noise, for a thief to open an unlocked car door and grab whatever they can find.

“Don’t be complacent. Drivers sometimes think it’s OK to leave their cars unlocked, if it’s on their own private drive, or if they’re just leaving it for a few minutes while they pop in to the shops.”

PC Hanson dismissed suggestions thieves were using a master key or scrambling device to get into the cars without leaving any sign of a break-in.

He said: “We are not aware of any such devices at the moment. We can’t rule anything out, but its highly unlikely.”

Police are also urging motorists to remove valuables from unattended cars to avoid falling prey to thieves – removing sat navs from their windscreens and wiping off sucker marks so there was no clue the owner had a sat nav.

John Budge, of Shoebury Residents’ Association, said: “It’s not satisfactory for a local community to have this going on.

“We welcome any action by the police to clamp down on it and stop it happening.”

Anyone with information about vehicle crime in Shoebury and Southchurch is asked to call police on 0300 3334444, or contact the local neighbourhood policing team on its mobile number, 07710 086590.