Security Locks

ColDeb
ColDeb Forum Participant Posts: 38
edited October 2017 in Caravans #1

The police gave the go ahead for us to collect our stolen caravan today. On inspection we found the thieves must have cut off the wheel locks with cutters as the wheel hubs were marked, the hitchlock was prised off with something like a crowbar, one of the cornersteady locks was completely off maybe by use of a hammer the other cornersteady lock was still on but the leg was up we think they must have got under the caravan and used a spanner to wind it up. So it looks like no matter what security locks you use the thieves know what to do to remove them without damaging caravans. All the locks may do is deter opportunist thieves. The caravan is filthy dirty but thankfully it looks like there's only minor cosmetic damage. For it to be released from the recovery compound we had to pay £150!!!

Comments

  • dwlgll20
    dwlgll20 Forum Participant Posts: 139
    edited October 2017 #2

    ColDeb, I hope that this may help you get the £150 release fee back rather than possibly claiming it from any insurance. Did the police contact you to get you to authorise the removal of the caravan? If they didn’t and they removed it for forensic examination then the police pay all the costs. So long as you collected the caravan as soon as you were informed you will not be subject to any release, removal or storage fee. My advice is to write a short letter to the Professional Standards Department of the police service which is dealing with theft explaining the brief circumstances including that you didn’t authorise removal and include you are requesting a refund (I appreciate you probably paid the storage company direct but the police should be paying them at a much cheaper rate), include in the letter that if you do not get a refund you will be making a formal complaint as you didn’t authorise the removal.

  • lexel
    lexel Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited October 2017 #3

    Glad you got the van back ColDeb, our 2012 Swift Conqueror 570 was stolen overnight from farm storage this week.

    Interestingly, we were initially convinced that duplicate keys must have been used to get the Al-Ko Hitch and wheel lock off, but the reality is simply more brutal.

    Like your's, the Hitch lock was merely jemmied at the side and lifted off intact; but the Wheel lock was actually cut off by heating the chassis housing with welding gear.

    I think its fair to call it a determined and pre-meditated theft.

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