CAR crime in Trowbridge has increased by 25 per cent compared to last year, despite a high profile police campaign.

Trowbridge police launched an anti-car crime initiative at the end of July, but the number of reported incidents has continued to rise, with 42 reported in August.

Inspector Jon Tapper said: "It doesn't seem to be going to plan. We need people to help themselves by helping us."

The aim of the police campaign is to make people more aware of what they can do to protect their property.

West Wiltshire District Council and Euro Car Parks, who manage The Shires and ASDA car parks on its behalf, have joined forces with the police in a bid to educate drivers.

Insp Tapper said: "We have individuals who find this crime appealing and find it easy to commit. We are trying to make it less easy to commit."

Wardens who check parked cars for tickets now log the details of the cars that are insecure those, for example with windows left open, or with valuables on show.

These details are passed to the police who write to people to reinforce the message that this is giving thieves a perfect target, but it has yet to have an impact on the numbers of cars stolen or broken into.

The most common target are older cars that are less likely to have alarms or immobilisers.

Insp Tapper said: "The items taken can be anything from sun glasses to laptop computers and these crimes aren't just happening in car parks, it is outside people's homes."

Police advice is to leave nothing on display inside a car because anything might be enough to attract opportunist thieves.

Insp Tapper said: "Forty two car crimes a month is over one a day. Some people might say that is not that many but one a day is just not acceptable."