Car insurance customers in Kirklees in west Yorkshire were today warned that they may risk having to make a claim on their car insurance policy if they leave items unattended and on-display in their parked vehicles.

West Yorkshire police have issued the warning after a spate of recent thefts, with burglars nabbing satellite navigation systems, car radios and other costly accessories.

PC Mark Wall, crime reduction officer for Kirklees, said that people should spend an extra few moments putting away their onboard gadgets every time they park their car.

"If you have a satnav system, remove it and also remove the suction pad from the windscreen and hide that away and finally wipe your windscreen down," he commented.

"Thieves will often look for marks where the Satnav has been and again break into the car simply to steal it. Just a few moments' extra effort from owners can save the expense and inconvenience of replacing property and repairing your car," he concluded.