Are skateboarders behind theft boom?

5:42am Thursday 13th September 2007

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THRILL-SEEKING skateboarders have em-erged as suspects after 22 numberplates were stolen in two days.

Thieves targeted vehicles in five roads in Pitsea: Clarendon Road, Mal-graves, Moretons, Beam-bridge Court and Travers Way.

Police were at first baffled by the plate-stealing blitz and the motive behind it.

But now officers believe young skateboarders may well be stealing the plastic car registrations to help them perform skateboarding stunts.

It is believed when fixed on the underside of skateboards, the smooth plastic helps the board slide down bannisters, a dangerous stunt often performed in public places.

Yet Stephen Vincent, owner of skateboarding shop Limit Skates in London Road, Southend, rubbished the theory. He said: "I've owned this shop for six years and I've been skateboarding for eight and I've never seen any evidence of people putting licence plates under their boards.

"It is complete rubbish. It can't be done as the plates are longer than the boards and you would have to take the truck bolts off - which hold the wheels - and drill holes just to hold the licence plates.

"Kids aren't going to do that when they are paying a lot of money for their boards. This story has been banging around for a couple of years but I've never seen any evidence behind it."

Mr Vincent said boards usually use wax or metal ledges to help them to perform stunts.

However, acting Pitsea Insp Kelly Ferrier said: "It's very unusual for so many licence plates to be taken in such a short space of time.

"We usually have a couple taken over four or five days. One theory we are looking into is that they are being used by skateboarders to perform stunts."

Plates are usually stolen by crooks who put them on cars before stealing petrol or driving through London's congestion zone without paying.

Anyone with information about the latest thefts can contact police at Basildon on 01268 532212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.