Northumbria Police have increased patrols in Jesmond after two attempts were made to steal cars overnight on October 30th and in the early hours of October 31st.

The first incident involved the successful theft of a Silver Vauxhall Astra, parked in front of Kennilworth Hotel on Osborne Road. The incident took place at around 11pm, Northumbria Police said.

The following morning, at around 6:50am, an offender attempted to steal a car from Reid Park Road. The criminal was unsuccessful in their his attempt, though it did come at the physical harm of a 50-year-old, who impeded the crime. The man suffered minor injuries when hit by a car, believed to be the one stolen in the earlier incident.

Police have asked the public for help tracing a silver three door Vauxhall Astra with the registration number FL59 UYZ.

Both incidents happened on or close to Osborne Road, one of the arterial channels of Jesmond, which has long been a hub for night time activities, with only a few major incidents of serious recorded crime.

The theft is one of several vehicle-related crimes reported in the NE2 postcode area. According to UKCrimeStats.com, 29 incidents of vehicle related crime were each reported in August and July, with just 17 in June. Fenham has far fewer vehicle thefts, with just 17 incidents reported last month.

Targets are often varied, as even two wheeled vehicles are the subject of bike theft. On October 26th , a 50cc Moped was stolen from a car park in Princess Mary’s Court.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the car or the identity of the offenders is urged to get in contact with police.

Police have asked any witnesses to contact them on 101 ext 69191 quoting reference fwin 282 311015, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.