With the children off school and plenty of long hot summer days to fill, many families hit the road for days out at rural beauty spots.


But officers are warning criminals deliberately target these areas - knowing vehicles will be left unattended for hours on end.


And while the family is off enjoying a stroll and a picnic, criminals will think nothing of smashing car windows and stealing cameras, sat navs, handbags, purses, mobile phones, MP3 players and anything else they can get their hands on.


DI Simon Lovett said: "Car thieves are opportunists and will nearly always drive to these rural locations. Previous experience tells us they usually operate in gangs of two to three males, aged between 17 and 25.


"They'll watch and wait for motorists to leave their vehicles to follow their recreational pursuits. Then there'll be a quick glance into a vehicle to see what is on display and within seconds they'll gain entry to the car remove the goods, before moving on to the next car park.


"Remember, be aware of your surroundings, look for the tell tale signs and be especially suspicious of vehicles with all male occupants, just sitting around, seemingly doing nothing.


"If you're concerned, make a note of the vehicle number and a description of the occupants and keep it for a couple of weeks. If it's not useful for a theft from your car, you may read in the paper that other vehicles in that car park were hit and that number could help us clear it up and make some arrests."