Safe plate days changed

Date published: 01 May 2009

Rochdale North Neighbourhood Policing Team has changed some of their safe plating days so that more people can come along.

The events had been planned at the car park of Rochdale Infirmary on Tuesday 5 May and Wednesday 24 June. They will now be at the car park of Dunelm Mill on Whitworth Road.

Sergeant Brendan Walsh for Rochdale North Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We had to change the location following increased interest in the event by members of the public. The new location provides easier accessibility and will be less congested.

“We will now be able to see to more people and have more car registration plates fitted with the one way screws.”

The Safe Plate days will involve police community support officers fitting special one-way screws to registration plates free of charge. The screws, which cannot be easily removed, are then covered with a security cap as an added deterrent.

Sergeant Walsh added: “Offenders often steal the plates to clone cars to commit other crimes such as driving off from petrol stations without paying and robberies.

“Victims might not be aware of what has happened until speeding and parking tickets start arriving in the post. They can then have difficulty convincing authorities that it was not their car being used.

“I would urge people to attend the clinics, because having the screws fitted is a simple measure that will reduce the risk of cars being targeted and it costs nothing.”