POLICE have decided to give crooks a card this Christmas.

But the officers are not particularly full of festive joy.

The cards, sent to 200 of West Yorkshire's most prolific car criminals, warn them they face Christmas in a cell if they carry out more offences over the coming weeks.

There are several different designs on the same theme.

Three show a suspect, viewed through a cell door with one of three captions:

* Staying in this Xmas?

* Where will you be spending Christmas?

* We've put something away for Xmas.

The message inside reads `Make sure it's not you!'.

Another simply says Christmas Turkey.

The final card has a picture of a prisoner in handcuffs with the caption `Going away this Christmas?'

Chief Supt Max McLean, head of Territorial Operations, said: "We want to remind would-be thieves that stealing from cars is a high risk business over the Christmas period.

"We have extra patrols working over the festive period who will be determined not to allow car criminals to spoil the fun."

The run-up to Christmas can spell rich pickings for car thieves attracted by presents and valuables left in cars by shoppers.

Other items targeted include highly valuable audio and satellite navigation equipment.

Police will be monitoring the region's roads using an automatic number plate recognition system to find cars linked to criminal activity.