THEFTS of seven caravans and from other caravans in south Worcestershire has sparked an investigation with police urging owners to use extra security measures during the winter months.

Great Comberton Golf Club, in Pershore Road, had two caravans stolen, which were in storage - one a Bailey Olympus 4-berth valued at £15,000 between Sunday, January 5, and just before midnight on Wednesday, January 8, and the other a Cristal Moorea 530 caravan worth £9,000, stolen between 5pm on Wednesday, January 8, and 8am on Thursday, January 9.

It was also discovered thieves attempted to steal another caravan at the golf club from the early hours of Monday, January 6, and 8am on Thursday, January 9. They caused £100 of damage to the lock but nothing was taken. While between 8am Sunday, September 1, and 10am Tuesday, January 7, someone broke a plastic storage panel on a caravan at the club. Nothing was taken but £400 of damage was caused.

Elsewhere, other thefts included a fridge from a Swift Challenger 530SE caravan parked at a property in Manor Road, Eckington, near Pershore, between 8am and 4pm on Wednesday, January 15, two caravans, cooking and cleaning items, awning and caravan cover, Calor gas cyinders, kitchen and dining equipment, a TV and bedding from the Riverside Caravan Park in Little Clevelode, Malvern, between 5pm on Wednesday, January 15, and 4pm on Thursday, January 16, and two caravans were again towed away and stolen from a storage facility in Eckington, Pershore, between 9.30pm on Wednesday, February 5, and 5.45am on Thursday, February 6.

At 8.20pm on Tuesday, February 4, a Hobby Prestige 650kfu touring caravan, valued at £17,000, was stolen from the front driveway of a house on Alcester Road, Inkberrow, but it was found on a travellers’ site off junction 10 of the M5 and recovered by Gloucestershire Police. Investigations into the theft are ongoing.

Inspector Janet Heritage said they were appealing for any information regarding the thefts or damage done and was urging owners to do everything they could to keep property secure.

She said: "We recommend owners fit wheel locks, hitch locks, tracking devises and any other available security equipment to their caravans to deter thieves and help us track them down. One of the stolen caravans was successfully traced because it was fitted with a tracking device.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police in South Worcestershire by calling the non emergency number 101, or information can be passed on anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or completing its online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.