MOTORISTS are being urged to be vigilant when de-icing their cars on frosty mornings, following a spate of thefts.

The warning came after a black Volkswagen Golf was swiped from a driveway in Coulter Close, Cuffley, just after 7am this morning (Monday).

It was subsequently recovered in North London.

This is the seventh vehicle to be stolen whilst being defrosted in Cuffley since the turn of the year.

In many of these cases, the cars were left unattended with the keys in the ignition.

Inspector Gary Taylor, from Herts police’s operations team, said: “It only takes a few seconds whilst your back is turned for someone to steal your car if you make it easy for them.

“It is incredibly inconvenient to have to organise new locks on your home, report credit cards as stolen, organise money and lifts and the list goes on and on.

“The other simple option is - stay with your car whilst defrosting it.”

He added: “It is important to ensure that all windows in your vehicle are clear from ice and de-misted before you drive away, so why not allow a few extra minutes in your morning routine to do this properly – an attempt to save time in the morning could result in causing you considerable inconvenience and expense.”

If you have any information about these thefts, call police on 0845 33 00 222.