DON’T be a sitting duck.

That’s the message from the ‘old bill’ as they launch a ‘quacking’ new campaign against car crime.

Detective Duck and officers from Kirkburton and Denby Dale Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) will be advising motorists how to safeguard their vehicles at a crime prevention event at Armitage’s garden centre in Shelley tomorrow.

The team will be offering up a number of crime prevention devices including £1 registration plate anti-tamper screw kits and heavily discounted steering wheel locks will be for sale.

Detective Duck will also be handing out specially designed crime prevention ‘ducks on hooks.’

The duck-shaped car displays hook over a car’s rear-view mirror. On one side there are reminders for drivers about not leaving sat-navs, coats and bags, loose change or any other valuables in cars.

The reverse tells would-be thieves that the car has not been left a '’sitting duck’ by its owner.

Pc Sally Baines, of the NPT, said: “Unfortunately we have had several instances of car crime in the area recently, many of which could have been avoided if valuables had been removed from vehicles.

“Our ‘ducks on hooks’ will hopefully be a reminder to people that they should take everything out of their cars before a thief does it for them.”

The Armitage’s event has been organised with the help of Kirklees Council and the Huddersfield Rural Crime Prevention Panel, who helped secure the discounted Disklocks, which are particularly suited to 4x4 vehicles such as Land Rover Defenders.

Mark Wall, crime reduction officer for the Kirkburton and Denby Dale area, added: “This event is light-hearted, but should drive home a simple and effective message.

“If people leave any items of value in their cars while they are not in them, their vehicles are sitting ducks.

“In the time it would take you to put your sat-nav or loose change in your bag, a thief could just as easily smash your window and take your property, leaving you with an insecure vehicle and an insurance issue to deal with.

“The police can’t be by every car in Kirklees so we really need these warnings to hit home with motorists and to see people helping us by helping themselves.”

Detective Duck and the police will be at the Huddersfield Road garden centre from 10am until 3pm.