FEWER cars are being stolen in Kirklees.

Statistics released by West Yorkshire Police showed 143 vehicle thefts in the Kirklees district in the last two months – equal to two per day.

This compares with 171 thefts or three per day in April and May 2010.

Across West Yorkshire, the force recorded 726 vehicle thefts in the last two months – roughly 12 per day – compared with 885 in the same period last year.

A police spokesman said: “We are pleased that the number of cars being stolen is going down, while our detection rates for this type of crime are increasing.

“We carry out work all year round to tackle this issue and will continue to do so as we tend to see more cars being stolen during the summer months.

“People often leave their homes vulnerable to being burgled and have car keys stolen when they are left on display near to unlocked doors and open windows.

“We would therefore repeat our message to people that they should ensure their doors and windows are locked when they are not at home or in a room and that their car keys and other valuables should not be left in places where burglars may be tempted to try and steal them.”

The figures were released in response to a study by the Association of Chief Police Officers Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS) for Car Crime Awareness Week this week.

AVCIS found that almost 9,000 vehicles were stolen nationally in the first 36 days of 2011 – the equivalent of one every six minutes.