Okehampton parking meters raided

Police in West Devon are investigating the theft of cash from parking meters in Tavistock and Okehampton.

Money from two parking meters in Bedford Car Park, Canal Road, Tavistock was taken sometime between 5pm on 5th November and 7.30am on Sunday 6th November.

A second theft took place in Okehampton when money from one meter was stolen and a second machine was damaged. This incident took place in the car park in Mill Road between 4pm on Sunday 6th November and 9am on Monday 7th November.

It is not known how much money was stolen.

Ian Hosking, Street Scene Manager at West Devon Borough Council said: "These incidents in Tavistock and Okehampton are very disappointing, especially as repairs to these machines are costly to the taxpayer. Replacing them outright can cost up to £3,000, which is far more than thieves will ever recover from a machine. These thefts have also left a hole in the car parks budget, at further cost to the taxpayer. If residents see anyone tampering with pay and display machines please do let police know. Even if they look like council staff, unless they have a clearly marked council van, please report it."

Police are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed any unusual activity or saw any suspicious vehicles in the area. Please call police on non emergency number 101 with any information.