DRIVERS of Ford Fiestas in Colne are being warned to be vigilant after seven of the cars were stolen in less than three weeks.

Police have warned drivers of older models to take extra security precautions until the thieves are caught and have said Fiesta drivers could be stopped by officers more frequently, as a precaution.

The majority of the cars stolen have been valued between £200 and £500 and most have been found abandoned locally - one was even abandoned in the same street it was stolen from.

The cars have been stolen from Milton Road, Norfolk Street, West Street, Bath Street, Granville Street, Gordon Street and North Street since January 10.

In the most recent theft, a red J-reg Fiesta was stolen from North Street and recovered 12 feet further down the road.

Acting Inspector Chris Saville said: "While crime generally is going down, this is clearly a spate of incidents and we are putting a huge amount of time and effort into trying to catch those responsible.

"It is particularly the older cars being targeted, perhaps because they are not quite so robust as the newer ones.

"They generally turn up quite quickly and we are satisfied the thieves are local.

"I would advise anybody who has got one of these vehicles to consider their security measures.

"I don't know what the motives are but this is something that has got completely out of hand and we are addressing as many resources as we can to resolving it."