Police response to break-in criticised

Ormskirk Road residents Steve Wood and daughter Natalie

Steve Wood, from Pemberton, and his daughter Natalie criticised Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after thieves targeted the Peugeot 3008 while it was parked outside their Ormskirk Road home.

Offenders broke into the vehicle overnight between June 7 and 8, stealing items including CDs, chisels and a blue badge.

Steve and Natalie found one CD had been left behind and there was also a mass of what looked like chewed-up paper left in the front passenger footwell.

However, they then say it took police around a week to arrive and claim that when they pointed out the evidence left behind officers said testing for DNA on it would not be possible.

Steve, 63, said: “When I went to look at the car all the doors were open and the mirrors were out when normally they fold in when you lock it.

“We had a look round and a few things had gone which I had put away. I didn’t leave anything on display. There was also what looked like papier mache in the footwell.

“We thought the CD might have had fingerprints on it and the mouthful of whatever it was might have had DNA, so we took it into the house carefully without touching it and put it in an envelope.”

Natalie, 29, said: “When the officers finally turned up they said sending it off might be a cost issue but then backtracked and said anyone could have left it in the car.

“To me it seems like they are just making excuses because they can’t be bothered.

“My dad has had his things stolen, we’ve had to go to the lengths of sorting out a blue badge and they are not even prepared to put the evidence through.”

The incident is the second time the area has been targeted in the space of a few weeks after garages on Ormskirk Road were broken into last month.

Natalie says glass was taken out of the garage door during that incident and a half-drunk can of lager was found nearby.

GMP confirmed it had launched an investigation into the garage break-in but did not comment further on the June incident. The force also reminded residents not to leave anything in cars or vans.