Police Issue Warning After Thieves Target Key Safes in Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire Police are urging residents to remain vigilant and review their home security following a series of incidents where thieves broke into key safes, resulting in at least one vehicle being stolen in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

The warning was issued on Friday, February 6, after multiple key safes were forcibly accessed overnight and in the early hours. Key safes—commonly used by homeowners, carers, or family members to store spare house or car keys outside properties—are being targeted by offenders who then use the retrieved keys to enter homes or steal vehicles.

Officers were first alerted at around 1 am on February 6 to Selwyn Street in Stoke, where two men were spotted tampering with a key safe. The suspects were disturbed and fled in the direction of Campbell Road. Later that morning, at approximately 7:10 am, police responded to an incident on Lowell Drive in Weston Coyney, where a key safe had been accessed, allowing suspects to enter a property.

In at least one case, a car was stolen after thieves obtained the keys from a compromised safe. Police described the incidents as part of a concerning pattern affecting the Stoke-on-Trent area, with reports indicating multiple key safes broken into over recent days or overnight.

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson stated: "We are urging residents to be vigilant after several key safes were broken into and a car was stolen in the Stoke-on-Trent area overnight."

Officers are advising households with external key safes to take immediate preventive steps, including:

• Removing keys from the safe when not needed, especially overnight.

• Relocating the key safe to a less visible or accessible location, away from front or rear doors.

• Ensuring the safe is securely fixed and of good quality (police-approved models are recommended where possible).

• Checking that all doors and windows are properly locked and secured.

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The force emphasised that while key safes provide convenience for legitimate access (such as for carers or emergency services), poorly secured or visible ones can become easy targets for opportunistic thieves.

Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact Staffordshire Police on 101, quoting relevant incident numbers, or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Residents can also visit the Staffordshire Police website for further burglary prevention advice.

No arrests have been reported in connection with these specific key safe break-ins at the time of publication, but enquiries are ongoing as part of wider efforts to tackle vehicle theft and burglary in the region.

For the latest updates and crime prevention tips, visit www.staffordshire.police.uk.