Caravan stolen with owner inside!

Imagine the scene; you’re relaxing in your mobile home after a long drive to your holiday destination. You’ve got that great, holiday feeling. Then, you realise your caravan is on the move, only it’s not you doing the moving.

I recently read about 73-year-old William Roberts, who was inside a £17,500 caravan when thieves decided to steal the vehicle. When he realised what had happened the pensioner managed to find an opportunity to escape. Mr Roberts, from Towyn, North Wales, ran from the vehicle when the thieves stopped at a lay-by.

Can you imagine?

Britain has a large number of caravan-owners who, no doubt, will be enjoying the warm weather by getting away in their mobile homes. But with minimal security, caravans can often be seen as an easy target to thieves. Don’t let thieves ruin your holiday, read handy advice on how to stay secure in your caravan on Crimestoppers’ Yell.com blog.

If you want to give information about robbery or any other crime, contact Crimestoppers’ anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Valentine's Day gift ideas

Valentine's Day - it's everywhere. Papers are full of articles about Valentine's Day gift ideas and the ones that aren't contain dating advice for those of us who are single. I'm a pretty creative guy and have had a list of gift ideas ready for this Sunday for quite some time. 

I've been waiting for my Wonder Woman to come along and when she does I'm ready with some great presents and a winning grin. Unfortunately though (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), there's no leading lady in my life just yet. I don't want my gift ideas that I've worked so hard on to go to waste so I thought I'd share them with you.

So if you do have a date for this Sunday and you haven't got them a special something yet, don't worry, the Caped Crimestopper is here to prevent you being put in the dog house.

Home baking - Nothing says 'love' (or lust) like a homemade cake. Unless it's done the right way, cake can be a bit corny though. Ladies, take it from a me - most men don't like things covered in hearts. If I had a date this Valentine's Day, I'd be making them a cake that represents 'us' and what the common things we enjoy, like this Batman cake.

An 'experience' - An outing can be a great gift, mainly because you'll also benefit from it. The only risk here is if you give the object of your desire tickets and then instead of taking you along, they take someone else along instead. Ouch. To prevent this happening, why not meet up with your valentine on Sunday and take them with you to somewhere romantic, like the crime museum.

Novelty value - Depending on your partner, a novelty gift could also be a hit. My personal favourite is the classic fluffy handcuffs. They may not scream class but they do show an interest in law enforcement in a way that only a trip to crime museum could otherwise.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Let me know if you've got any gift ideas that should be added to my list for next year.

Crime costumes and big decisions

It's Halloween this Saturday and I'm trying to think of a costume to wear. My superhero outfit is usually suitable for every occasion, but I feel like trying something different this year. Being passionate about crime-fighting, I want to stick to a crime-inspired costume.

I'm quite lucky - being a good looking guy means that I can pull off most costumes easily. When it comes time for Mask of Manuel to choose his costume, I can't image he'll have as many suitable options as me.

My first choice of costume was made by a Japanese designer who wanted to come up with an outfit that would allow wearers to avoid crime. It's got to be the ultimate disguise - a skirt that transforms into a life-size vending machine. I love the idea that crime has inspired such an ingenious and amazing costume. My only worry is how my legs will look in the red skirt and whether I can source one from Japan in time for Halloween.

I was also thinking of going out as Jack the Ripper. This time, my worry is that too much of my lovely legs will be covered up. I also am unsure about dressing as a criminal as I'm so passionate about catching them.

My third and final choice is dressing as the classic crime-solver Sherlock Holmes. The hat is a little old fashioned though and I consider myself a modern kind of guy...

Are you planning on dressing up for Halloween? If you are, would you consider a crime-inspired costume? I'm keen to hear which of my costume ideas is your favourite so be sure to let me know.

Happy crime-fighting