CAR thefts in and around Winchester are not a "priority" according to a police chief.

It comes after the Chronicle reported how thefts had skyrocketed in November last year with a rise in car crime of more than 1,100 per cent.

Chief Inspector Claire Taylor told councillors at an overview and scrutiny committee that the increase was the work of two offenders.

Police say however that although they are "alarmed" by the rise, the strategy which affects resources to tackle the problem have changed.

Ms Taylor said: "Theft from motor vehicles have had an alarming rise we are fully aware of who has been committing those.

"We are confident who the offender is it is the same offender on both accounts, an individual admitted 38 offences and further offences in a second instance.

"Our response to vehicle crime has changed because it is not identified in our control strategy."

She added that police won't always attend a theft from a motor vehicle and depending on patrols they have to rely on "getting lucky" to catch offenders.

Ms Taylor admitted there's been a big increase in car crime from city areas and admitted that the recent rise is not acceptable.

She added:"It is unacceptable for the community to suffer that, we need to know who is committing that, then we will refine and open it up as a series of thefts."

In a statement to the Chronicle after the meeting, she clarified her comments about the crime strategy and vehicle crime: "Our control strategy focuses on protecting vulnerable people against crimes such as serious sexual offences and domestic abuse. However we will continue to address local issues such as vehicle crime and prioritise our resources as appropriate.

“We have conducted various covert operations to identify vehicle offenders and therefore reduce offences. There were a couple of spikes in vehicle crime and we have arrested two men in connection with a range of offences.

“We have also put out preventative messages through the media around removing belongings and ensuring vehicles are locked. We have put up signs in high-volume locations reinforcing these warnings, as many thefts have been from insecure vehicles and were therefore preventable.

“We continue to urge the local community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. If you think there is a crime in action, call us on 999; if you have information about previous incidents or who you think might be involved, contact us on 101.

“People can do their bit to try and reduce these crimes. The advice is simple – don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicle, remove all items that could be attractive to thieves and make sure your vehicle is secure.”

City councillor Jan Warwick, the new portfolio holder for transport, said: "What I would say on this is in Winchester we have an excellent Community Safety partnership between the police, city council and other agencies who respond to crime trends and effectively deal with all forms of antisocial behaviour.

"Residents should be assured that vast majority of the council's car parks are Park Mark approved meaning they conform to the very highest standards of safety, including lighting and CCTV."