Criminal gangs 'target lorries at business park'

1:07pm Sunday 24th February 2008

A BUSINESS park is being targeted by criminal gangs, according to police.

It follows a number of thefts from lorries - particularly at night while the driver is sleeping - at Altham Business Park, off Burnley Road.

Now police are working with companies on the site to warn of the danger of parking wagons at the site before deliveries.

And signs are posted in different languages to advise drivers to park in a secure compound nearby.

It comes after an incident involving a 56-year-old lorry driver from Hull last month.

Police said he had been sleeping in his vehicle when he woke up to find four men had broken in to the back of the lorry.

He confronted them and was threatened with a metal bar, according to officers.

Some £15,000 worth of computer equipment was stolen.

A 23-year-old man from Kirby, Merseyside, this week appeared in court in connection with the incident.

Inspector Joanne Lightbrown, from Accrington CID, said: "Unfortunately incidents of this nature are not unique.

"Gangs are travelling to purposely target vehicles carrying valuable goods.

"This latest incident was particularly nasty and the driver was lucky not to be hurt.

"We would urge all lorry drivers to park up using the appropriate areas.

"We still looking for three other men in connection with this incident and I would appeal to anyone who has any information about this robbery, or witnessed anything suspicious to come forward."

Insp Lightbrown appealed for anyone who had been approached to buy one of the screens, or who knew where they were stored, to come forward.

The incident was the latest in a series of crimes at the park.

In June last year a gang stole 64 large public display TVs worth £128,000 during a raid on a lorry while the driver slept.

And the previous year a German lorry driver was abducted when his vehicle was hijacked by a gang on the industrial estate.

The driver was taken to Manchester where he was later released.

The lorry was found burnt out in Manchester after its contents had been stolen.

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