Spree of wing mirror thefts throughout Bognor Regis

A spree of wing mirror thefts throughout Bognor Regis and Bersted has left car owners baffled and annoyed.

The thefts took place over the weekend, with several reports in the areas surrounding Central Avenue, Southway and Norbren Avenue. Residents woke up to discover their wing mirrors had been damaged or stolen overnight.

“I went into Sussex Engine Services to order some replacement wing mirrors and I was the sixth person there,” said one Central Avenue resident whose partner had her vehicle’s wing mirrors stolen.

“They’re not that easy to take off either. You have to stand there with a screw driver and really prise them out. It cost us £50 to get ours replaced, they’re not worth a lot, but I’ve heard of about ten other people who’ve had their mirrors stolen.”

At prices like that, it might be fair to wonder why someone would steal the glass in the first place, beyond causing a nuisance.

But one staff member at Sussex Engine Services on Durban Road said there’s a surprisingly large market for wing mirror glass.

“Some of them are actually really expensive. If you get the ones with the heated backing in place, they can be prohibitively dear to buy from a main dealer.

“I’ve been told that some of the replacements, which are only available from the main dealer, can cost up to £200 each,” he explained.

As a seller of replacement parts, the Durban Road supplier saw increased demand for wing mirrors over the weekend.

“We’ve had quite a few people come in for them.

“I don’t have an exact amount but I’d probably say about half a dozen over the last couple of days,” the staff member said.

Aware of the issue, Sussex Police is asking members of the public to get in touch if they have ‘evidence of suspicious behaviour’ on CCTV, RING doorbells or dashcam footage from March 26-29.

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