FEWER cars than ever are being stolen across Kirklees.

That's a pleasing fact, considering the opportunities for car crime are rising with vehicle ownership in the area, the highest in the region.

Some 70% of households in Kirklees own a car, says the 2001 Census of Population.

But drivers are being warned against complacency.

Taking basic security measures - such as removing valuables, locking doors and taking care where you park - are all basic steps which drivers can take to make sure they do not become victims of thieves.

They are simple steps which can cause weeks of inconvenience and upset.

Thieves particularly target older, small hatchbacks which are not fitted with security devices such as alarms and immobilisers.

Cars which are 11 to 15 years old account for 40% of stolen vehicles.

Simon Massey, a manager with the Kirklees Safer Communities Partnership, said everyone needed to work together to tackle vehicle crime.

"We have had good results in the last six to nine months. But to maintain this downward trend we still need communities to do their bit," he said.

"People need to heed our warning and be ever-vigilant in taking basic security measures to protect their vehicles and their homes."

* There has been a 14% fall in total vehicle crime in 2003/2004 compared with the previous 12 months.

* The national average fall for England and Wales is 9%.

* Total vehicle crime is made up of theft of vehicles (32%) and theft from vehicles (68%).

* There was a drop of 14% in thefts of vehicles in Kirklees and a 15% reduction in thefts from vehicles. These are the lowest in West Yorkshire.

* Compact disc players are the most commonly taken item stolen from vehicles, followed by power tools, mobile phones, bank cards and cheque books.

* Thieves also often take numberplates, tax discs and spectacles.

* Never leave anything on display when you park your car. Even an old coat or a plastic bag can tempt a thief.

* Electronic engine immobilisers prevent your car from starting and are the best way to stop thieves. They should be professionally fitted by an approved installer.

* When parking at home always use your garage if you have one. Always lock both your car and your garage. If you don't have a garage, always try to park in a well-lit, open place.

* When parking outside always try and park your car in an attended car park.

* Use a steering wheel lock every time you leave your car.

* Car alarms can deter thieves from not only stealing your car, but also taking items from it. They need to be fitted by a professional.

* Install locking wheel nuts. These are cheap, easy to fit and stop thieves from taking your wheels.

* Have your car's number or the last 7 digits of your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched on all windows, both windscreens and your headlamps.

* Mark all your car equipment, such as the stereo, with the vehicle's number.

* Get a commercial database, such as HPI Group, Carwatch UK or CCN Motorfile, to check out the car you've got your eye on. Has it been stolen or written off?

STUDENT Daniel O'Regan was landed with a bill he could well do without after thieves broke into his car.

His K-reg Peugeot 106 was in the driveway of the house he shares with friends, behind two other cars.

"A flatmate came and said my car had been broken into and it was in a bit of state," said Daniel, 20, who is in the second year of a four-year BSc degree in computer games programming at Huddersfield University.

"I was pretty gobsmacked. It's not the sort of thing you expect to happen when you're sat upstairs in your flat and someone is breaking into your car just metres away. It's not the best feeling in the world."

The thieves had smashed the rear left window of his car, opened the passenger door and rifled through the glove compartment. They also got into the boot.

The thieves only stole a couple of pounds in loose change from the car, but Daniel, who comes from Cambridge, had a £50 bill to repair the damage.

But he remains stoical about the attack.

"I'm not impressed by what the thieves did, but there was nothing I could do. I was just unlucky," he said.