West Mercia Police have issued an appeal following a concerning incident in a Herefordshire village.
From Hereford Police (West Mercia Police):
“We’d like to make residents aware of a suspicious incident reported in the Byford area around 10–11am on Friday 31st May.
“A resident was alerted by the sound of their gates and gravel, and upon looking out, saw a male hiding between their parked vehicles in the garden.
“As soon as the male realised he’d been seen, he ran off quickly across a nearby field.
“Thankfully, nothing was taken and there was no damage, but understandably the incident has caused concern.
“It’s possible the individual may have been targeting the vehicle itself. There has been a recent increase in car key burglaries across parts of the West Mercia area, where offenders look to access homes in order to steal high-value cars.
“We’re sharing this for awareness and to encourage the following:
Check your CCTV, doorbell cameras, or dash cams if you live in or near Byford and may have captured anything suspicious around that time.
Secure your home and vehicles – keep doors and windows locked, remove keys from view, and store car keys away from doors and letterboxes, ideally in a signal-blocking pouch (Faraday pouch).
Report anything unusual or suspicious – even small details can help build a picture and support ongoing enquiries.
Use 101 or report online. Call 999 if a crime is in progress.Some residents have mentioned concerns about trackers being used on vehicles. While rare, if you’re worried, a trusted local garage may be able to carry out a check.
