CARS worth a total of £1M have been stolen in the borough so far this year but police say many thefts could have been prevented.

Bury Police has revealed that in half of the stolen car cases keys used to steal the vehicles were taken during burglaries.

Of the 100 cars stolen, 50 disappeared after their owners suffered a burglary at their homes. Thirty vehicles have never been recovered.

Only four vehicles taken were fitted with a tracking device, three of which were recovered intact within hours of being stolen.

Gaynor Mason, crime reduction advisor for Bury Police, said: "Cars are being stolen from all areas of Bury, with particular hotspots in Prestwich, Radcliffe and Chesham.

"VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra and Vectra, all Ford models, Volvos, BMW, Mercedes and Audi are all popular makes of car being stolen, many of them to order. If you own one of these makes then your car is at risk."

In a bid to reduce the risk of cars being stolen, the police have suggested the following crime prevention tips:-

Under no circumstances leave the keys in your car unattended, not even for a second.

At home, always put your keys in a safe place away from letterboxes and open windows. Thieves will use all manner of ingenius devices to try and hook keys or handbags from inside the house.

Keep downstairs windows closed and doors locked even when you are on the premises. It only takes a second for a thief to reach in through an open window or sneak in through an unlocked door and take your car keys and drive away in your vehicle.

Fit a Vehicle Tracking System. They are not as expensive as many people think and advertising the fact on your car will deter thieves from trying to take it in the first place.