A POLICE patrol car was rammed as a gang tried to escape after stealing top-ofthe- range cars from driveways.

The thieves had spent the night breaking into homes in Southampton, Hedge End, Eastleigh and Chandler's Ford while the owners were asleep.

They grabbed car keys and took the vehicles parked outside before fleeing up the M3 towards London.

As they made their getaway with two stolen cars, police were involved in an early morning pursuit along the motorway.

The chase was eventually called off for public safety reasons but a second police car in Basingstoke then came across the gang and was rammed by one of the stolen vehicles. Nobody was injured but the thief managed to leap into one of the other cars and they got away.

Officers are not able to confirm if the group was attempting to steal the new models - which included an Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMWs - to order.

Detectives today moved to reassure residents that measures are in place to reduce the risk of the gang, who are still at large, striking again. They have also urged people to take sensible precautions to protect their property, including making sure their car keys are not near to the front door.

The car raid began late in the evening when the gang drove into Woodmill Lane in Bitterne Park, Southampton. They broke into a house but failed to find the car keys.

They then drove to nearby Athelstan Road where they chose two properties with high-value cars outside but again they failed to find the keys and take the vehicles.

During the course of the evening they also went to Manor Farm Road where they again broke into a property but did not manage to get the car keys.

At about 2am the following morning they burgled a house in Chalvington Road, Chandler's Ford, removed car keys and stole a 2005 registration Audi quattro from the drive.

In Cudworth Mead, Hedge End, they burgled a house and stole keys to the black Volkswagen Golf but their break-ins at homes in Alexandra Road, Hedge End, and Jackdaw Rise in Eastleigh came to nothing.

The two stolen cars and the vehicle being used by the gang were all driven off north up the M3 where a police pursuit took place. It was later called off by officers in the force control room who raised concerns for public safety that outweighed the importance of catching the thieves.

However, the gang left the motorway and drove into Basingstoke where a second police car came across the vehicles and was then rammed by the stolen Golf.

Detective Sergeant Paul Gelman from Southampton's priority crime unit said: "They were indiscriminate in the cars they were targeting and went to houses with vehicles including Ford Focus, Subaru, BMWs and Mercedes outside.

"The fact that the car was travelling north on the M3 when they made their getaway suggests these people are based out of the county.

"We hope they will not return to Hampshire again.

"We have several measures in place and are working hard to ensure the risk of this type of crime reoccurring is reduced."

A team of six officers are working on the investigation called Operation Rivermead. Anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious or believes they saw the gang driving around or targeting homes overnight on Monday last week, March 31, is asked to call the priority crime unit on 0845 045 4545 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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