Police criticised for lack of response to car theft

A motorist has criticised West Mercia Police after they failed to respond when his dream car was stolen from his drive and now says he wants to leave the area.

Paul Mason's BMW M2 was taken from his Eckington home in Worcestershire on 10 July at 01:00 BST, but after reporting the offence, he said he had still not heard from the force.

He said: "One of our neighbours happens to be a police officer, and he got to hear about it, and so he popped around while off duty. He's the only police officer that we've actually seen."

Ch Insp Charlie Parker, the force lead for vehicle crime, said: "We will always strive to bring offenders to justice and seek positive outcomes for victims."

But Mr Mason, who works in software and computing, said: "I haven't heard a thing from them. I tried 101, but that was a complete waste of time, and no one answered the phone."

"So I went online and reported it, and it took me about 25 to 30 minutes to go through all the bits and pieces."

He said he later learnt through his police officer neighbour that his car, which sells for about £65k new and £25k secondhand, was spotted on the A46 in Ashchurch, in Gloucestershire, at 09:07 the morning it was taken.

"It has really hit home quite badly," he added about the impact of the theft. "I was near retirement age, so this was my last really nice car before I retired and couldn't afford these kinds of things.

"It was the car I'd been working toward for most of my life, and I finally got it and had it for six or seven months, and now it's gone."

When he and his wife, Julie Mason, realised it was stolen, he said: "I was in a complete and utter daydream for about a day and a half. I now feel like I've got to a point where I'm quite angry about it.

"It hasn't changed me, but it's speeded up a decision we had been making for a while about whether we stay in the area because it's definitely becoming more prevalent."

Asked if he would replace the vehicle, Mr Mason said he feared if he did, he would just be putting "something on the drive for it to be pinched again".

Paul Mason said he had been working to buy his BMW M2 with the idea of it being his last "really nice car"

A Freedom of Information request sent to West Mercia Police also revealed that, as well as the theft of Mr Mason's BMW, there have been 8,683 vehicles stolen from residential properties in the force's area since 2019. Of those, 419 offences have resulted in a charge.

Responding to Mr Mason's criticism of the force, Mr Parker said: "We do not underestimate the impact that vehicle crime has on victims.

"The theft of a motor vehicle can cause significant financial harm and emotional distress.

"In recent months, officers have made countless arrests, sought charges, recovered stolen vehicles, and seen offenders through to court, where they have been put behind bars for vehicle-related crimes.

"We recognise that there are still offenders to stop and victims to help, and we are not complacent; we will continue to respond robustly to reports of vehicle thefts."

The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion described the service provided to Mr Mason as "disappointing"

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion added: "I'm reassured by proactive policing and recent results, but enforcement alone isn't enough.

"I've long urged car manufacturers to address vulnerabilities in car technology that criminals can so easily override.

"It's also disappointing that a victim didn't receive the service they deserve.

"Despite improvements to the 101 service, I remain committed to supporting the force to deliver a consistent and high-quality service for our communities."