WEST Oxfordshire’s Community Safety Partnership and the police are joining forces with garages to cut thefts of car numberplates in the district.

Motorists are being encouraged to protect themselves against the crime by getting their cars fitted with free anti-theft screws, which are virtually impossible to remove.

In a number of recent cases, drivers have found out that stolen plates have been misused when they received letters demanding payment of a fine, or were contacted by police wanting to question them about a crime.

The scheme was launched at an event in Eynsham at the end of last month, when officers from the village’s police neighbourhood team and the community safety partnership offered crime reduction advice and handed out free packs of anti-theft numberplate screws to motorists, along with details of garages that stock and fit them for free.

Eynsham neighbourhood Sgt Elizabeth Bell said: “Numberplate theft should be taken seriously, as they are often used on vehicles to steal fuel from petrol stations, to evade speeding fines, conceal a stolen vehicle, or used on getaway vehicles in serious crimes.

“There should be no doubt about how seriously we view all car crime and our commitment to tackling it.

“It only takes a thief a couple of minutes to steal your numberplate, but it could cause you a lot of problems.”