Police last night urged motorists to take extra care with their vehicles as car and bike crime continues to be a major problem around the Island - especially in the City of Hamilton.

As Bermuda begins to enter the Christmas season, and the nights draw in darker when the clocks go back an hour this weekend, property theft is likely to increase and drivers are being urged to take extra precautions.

The latest statistics released by the Police show there has already been 1,136 instances of vehicle removal so far this year - many of them in the City of Hamilton.

Last year, there was a total of 1240.

About 230 bike thefts were reported to have taken place in the City of Hamilton alone between January 1 and August 31 this year.

Areas that are causing particular concern for Police are Front Street, Reid Street, Par-la-Ville Road, City Hall car park, Church Street, Court Street, Victoria Street, and St. John's Road.

As usual, Pembroke is the number one target of criminals, accounting for almost half of all vehicle crime, with Sandys, Southampton and Warwick somewhat equally behind.

The most commonly-targeted vehicles are motorcycles, auxiliary and livery cycles, while private cars and trucks are flagging way behind.

And among the most popular bikes to be taken are Honda Scoopies, Suzuki RC100s, Malaguti Centros and Yamaha V50s and V80s.

Police media spokesman Dwayne Caines said drivers had to secure their vehicles all-year round, not just in winter, but said the chances of falling victim to criminals was likely to increase now.

"We recognise that vehicle crime, and bike theft in particular, is a perennial problem," said Mr. Caines.

"We are in the process of devising strategies and plans based on intelligence to deal with the ever growing problems.

"We are asking people to be more vigilant as the Christmas season draws in. Typically, property crime does go up before Christmas, and there are basic steps that can be taken that, although they may not ensure you don't become a victim of crime at all, can lessen the chances."

Mr. Caines recommended that bike owners invest in a second strong lock for their bikes, in addition to the lock provided by the manufacturer.

And he said motorists should always, where possible, leave their vehicles in well-lit areas that are not too secluded.

And he said it was easy for drivers and riders to get their property U-marked by Police officers, which also displayed a sticker informing people of the security method and worked as a deterrent.

Police spokesman Robin Simmons said the City of Hamilton accounted for the majority of the high number of bike and car thefts in Pembroke this year, which currently stands at 436.

He said: "Although cycle theft continues to be a problem Island-wide, Pembroke, which includes the City of Hamilton, is still the number one parish for cycle removals.

"The Bermuda Police Service recommends that the public secures their cycles with a secondary lock, as well as locking the handlebars, even when parked outside their residence."

Anyone wishing to U-mark their property should call the Police vehicle crime unit on 295-0011.

The Royal Gazette reported earlier this year how the increase in vehicle crime had led to a steady rise in insurance premiums, which were being felt by bike owners across the Island