Twelve mopeds stolen by joyriders from outside Gosport homes
Joyriders have stolen 12 mopeds from outside homes in the space of a week.
Police are warning owners to take extra steps to secure their vehicles following the crime spree in the Privett, Elson and Bridgemary areas of Gosport.
In most of the incidents, the moped has been hot-wired and ridden away.
The vehicles have then been found damaged and abandoned after being ridden recklessly by thieves who have gone joyriding.
All of the vehicles were stolen from outside homes between January 27 and February 2.
Security guard Anthony Brown's moped was stolen from outside his home in Goodwood Road, Elson, Gosport, overnight on Monday.
The 57-year-old left for work at about 5.30pm and returned at 6.30am the following morning to discover the vehicle - a black Peugeot Jet force moped - had been stolen.
He said: 'I normally ride my moped to work but I didn't take it that night.
'It was right outside the front of the house.
'It was covered up and had a steering lock and a big bike chain on it.
'They took the lot. They must have just picked the whole thing up and taken it.
'I'm so angry. I bought to get to and from work.
'We don't normally have problems with crime round here.'
A yellow moped belonging to Ray Metelko's son Mark, 18, was stolen from outside the family's home in Peel Road, Gosport, between about 9.10pm and 9.25pm on Sunday. Mr Metelko, 46, said: 'It was parked outside the front of the house.
'My son's in the Royal Marines Band and I took him in the car to catch the Gosport ferry so he could go back to Portsmouth.
'I was gone for about 15 minutes at the most.
'When I came back it was gone. I'm so annoyed. It's sad that you can't even leave your own bike on the drive in safety.'
Sergeant Julian Barnes, from the Elson Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: 'We are doing everything we can to stop this series of thefts.
'We are conscious of the fact that for some of the victims this is their sole form of transport and without them many of them are stranded.
'We also need to stop this before anyone is injured, including the individuals who are stealing the vehicles.
'Joyriders are at risk of causing serious injury to themselves and other people.'
He added: 'We would also like to appeal to residents in these areas to store mopeds out of sight overnight, preferably in a locked garage and secured by a good quality lock or chain.
'Moped riders should not just rely on the lock on the moped to prevent it from being taken.'
Anyone with information should call Gosport police station on 101 or the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555111.
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