Woodall Service Station M1 North Theft no CCTV

Luckjockey

On 11 Feb myself and a colleague stopped at Welcome Break Woodall North on the M1 to use the services. When we were away from the company car (approx 30 mins) we had a suitcase and an ipad pro removed. I was adamant that the car was locked, there was no break-in damage, so how was the items removed? It has been confirmed to me today by the Police that on at least 15 separate occasions (reported) a blocking/coding device has been used to stop the doors of the cars being locked then the sticky fingered individuals move in and help themselves. Fortunately enough 15 witnesses have reported the same car being involved in the same crime at the same location. But, how many people have got to their home/place of work before they realised that items are no longer in their car? The thief's know that there is no CCTV on the north side, however there is CCTV on the south side (funnily enough there has been no occurrences there). The man that has now been taken in for questioning has already been charged for the same offence before. Moral is, always check your car is physically locked. Don't assume that the fob has done it's job. I will not be using this service station again, or at least until they install CCTV.

CardinalWolsey

Sorry to hear that.

It is however an interesting progression from the keyless entry on your driveway theft. Find public parking anywhere, amplify key signals (can these things be daisy chained?) and see which cars you can get in to. Remove personal possessions left in car and move on.

Which means the benefit of keyless entry goes. Because if you always have to shield your key other than when you need to get in and start the car, the effort involved in that you might as well have a "key" (albeit one that you have to activate to lock, a la plipper).

AndyMc.....

Most services don't cover the car parks, petrol forecourt and shops only.

System

No services are secure. Despite truck drivers paying up to £35 a night to park in them security is so lax that loads are stolen on pretty much a daily basis, the thieves having enough time to cut open the curtains and offload goods into a nearby van or small lorry. Very rarely is anyone caught.

Johno100

Looks like it is nothing new there and the South bound parking wasn't/isn't immune.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/72314161#Comment_72314161

konark

I get robbed at motorway services every time I visit.

jk0

It sounds like the thief just has a high power transmitter at 433 Mhz, which he uses to 'drown out' any signal from people's keys. So the doors never lock.



Does everyone always check the indicators flash when they lock their car?

MEM62

jk0 wrote: »

Does everyone always check the indicators flash when they lock their car?

I go one better, I look for the small black knobs on the door panel to drop.

Jackmydad

MEM62 wrote: »

I go one better, I look for the small black knobs on the door panel to drop.

You can't see anything on mine. If I'm parking anywhere public I check the door handle.
It's no big deal.

Motorway services I give a miss to if at all possible.

VFR

As has been said, this service area is well known to the Heavy Goods drivers & most will avoid the place if possible (not easy for them)
Myself as I do have the option I will never go there.

agrinnall

MEM62 wrote: »

I go one better, I look for the small black knobs on the door panel to drop.

My door mirrors fold as part of the locking process, it's a very easy visual check.