A new spate of vehicle thefts has hit East Cambridgeshire – and this time the thieves are stealing your number plates.

Police say Ely and Soham have been the main targets so far but have issued a warning to all drivers to be more careful and to check their number plates on a regular basis.

“There have been a series of thefts in Ely and Soham over the past weeks whereby number plates has been stolen,” said a police spokesman,

“It would appear that initially the owners are unaware of the thefts as the plates have been replaced with those from another vehicle, of the same make/model.”

The spokesman said: “Local residents are asked to check that their number plates are the correct ones and that they haven’t been tampered with.”

Police advice to protect your plates includes:

1. Use a garage if you can.

2. Park in busy, well lit areas if you have to park on the street.

3. Consider using security screws. These can be turned easily using a screwdriver to fit them but can’t be undone using normal tools.

4. Consider using theft-resistant number plates - they cost a little more but are designed to resist attack methods and will break apart if someone tries to remove them by force.

Report anything suspicious to the police by calling 101 or online at www.cambs.police.uk/report