A series of break-ins and vandalism to vehicles in the Falmouth and Penryn area have alarmed students and locals alike, with people using social media to vent their concerns.
Local residents in and around Falmouth have taken to Facebook following consecutive break-ins to cars parked on streets such as Wellington Terrace and Albany Road.
Wellington Terrace, Falmouth
The initial post, which was published on the Penryn campus Fit Finder page anonymously, warned residents: “Somebody broke into my car last night. Thankfully I don’t keep anything valuable in it overnight but they pulled out everything in the side door/glove box and left it all over the seats and floor. “
Linked to the message a series of replies rapidly came in, revealing several potential linked car break-ins and crimes from the surrounding area. Megan Bruce, Exeter University Student, was a victim of car vandalism last Friday, when her car parked on Oakfield Road, Falmouth, was smashed with a baseball bat.
The extreme damage to the front windscreen has left Exeter student Bruce without a car. She said: “So I now have to either pay for the car to be fixed (sill waiting for an exact quote) or it may be written off completely. Plus I’ve not been driving a year yet, so I’ve had to make a claim.”
Another response to the post came from Falmouth student Eilish Cooling, who was also involved in having her car trespassed into whilst parked on Budock Terrace, she explained: “My car wasn’t broken into, we worked out I’d actually left it open due to going grocery shopping. The next morning I got in my car for work and all the items in my car had been rearranged”.
On a visit to the area today local residents told us that the area is really safe and these attacks were completely out of the ordinary.
James Pike, second year student said: “I have lived here for two years. It’s a good area”.
Liv Powdill, local resident said : “This would be out of the ordinary anywhere, I feel safe here”
According to the Office of National Statistics, there has been a significant increase of 30% in car thefts reported in last year. Truthfal approached the Devon and Cornwall Police press office for a comment, but we are still awaiting a reply. In the meantime, it’s a safe bet to follow the general advice:
Park in the right place, hide your belongings and check and check again!