Nottinghamshire Police share essential tips for preventing caravan, campervan, and motorhome crime

Police are urging campervan, caravan, and motorhome owners to be vigilant to deter vehicle crime over the summer holidays.

Nottinghamshire Police has issued a range of crime prevention advice and best practice tips for owners to help discourage theft and vandalism as the use of caravans increases.

Caravan owners should always report any criminal activity or theft to Nottinghamshire Police as soon as an incident occurs so that officers can attend the location at the earliest opportunity.

This allows the force to effectively monitor types of crime and problematic areas, and allocate policing resources appropriately.

Crime prevention officer Yvonne Pickersgill, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “With summer finally upon us, couples and families will be travelling with their holiday homes far and wide, which opens the window for offenders to commit crime.

“Caravans, campervans, and motorhomes of all types that are not effectively protected with an array of security measures can be the target of criminals — especially those that are modern and expensive.

“Having your caravan stolen is a horrible experience. Officers understand the impact of losing your prized possession and take the concerns of our motoring communities seriously.

“I would encourage caravan, campervan and motorhome owners to please consider our prevention advice to help deter instances of theft and damage in the first place.”

The force’s expert crime prevention officers, who are issuing the information, identify vulnerable areas, make recommendations to introduce security measures, and advise on the most appropriate and reasonable ways to reduce crime.

They work collaboratively with neighbourhood policing teams and partner organisations to suggest suitable prevention measures and reduce criminal activity — which can include upgrading a site’s fencing and perimeter or utilising CCTV to identify offenders.

Essential tips for preventing caravan crime:

•Store your caravan in a secure storage facility when not in use with gated access, patrols, and CCTV. Alternatively, if stored at home, park in a well-lit area and preferably out of sight from the road.

•Make your vehicle unattractive to steal with a hitch lock anti-theft device, wheel clamps, pedal locks, locking wheel nuts, and steering wheel locks. A customised cover may also help identification.

•Install an alarm and approved tracking device to help make any theft more difficult.

•Use property marking kits to mark your possessions and etch the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the window or other parts of the caravan as a highly effective and visible deterrent.

•Ensure you have comprehensive caravan insurance that covers theft, damage, and contents.

•When using your caravan, choose secure campsites with good security and always lock your caravan when you leave it. Keep valuables out of sight and locked away. Fit theft-resistant number plate fittings with one-way clutch head screws to prevent stolen number plates from masking the identity of stolen vehicles.

•Engage with other caravan owners and join local or online communities to share information about suspicious activity and stay informed of crime trends.

•Routinely inspect the condition of locks, alarms and other security devices to ensure they are functioning correctly, and keep your caravan well-maintained to avoid making it an easy target.

•Register your caravan with one of the approved caravan and motorhome registration and identification schemes. Unique and clear identification markings on a vehicle are an effective deterrent and assist with recovery.

To best assist the police following an incident, please include location information, such as landmarks, a phone’s GPS location, or What3words app coordinates for rural areas.

Photos, dash cam video, doorbell footage, and as much detail as possible about what you have seen and heard are also useful to an investigation, such as descriptions of anyone or vehicles — including make, model, colour, number plate registration, and direction of travel.