Police have urged van owners to put their spare wheels in their vehicles or consider investing in a more secure way of fastening their wheels to the underside of their vans.

The warning comes after nine spare wheels were stolen from vans parked in the borough in the last 20 days. 

Unlike cars, vans' spare wheels are frequently secured beneath the vehicle meaning the alarm does not go off when they are stolen.

People have also been encouraged to mark their spare wheels in a way which will make them distinctive if they are recovered.

Ford transit vans were targeted in six of the nine thefts. The tyres were stolen in Bute Gardens, Wallington, Wandle Bank, Beddington, Richmond Road, Coulsdon, Oakhill Road, Sutton, Collyer Avenue, Beddington, Darcy Avenue, Wallington, Fairview Road, Sutton, Redford Avenue, Wallington, and Tharp Road, Wallington.

A spokesman for Sutton police said: "Even when vehicle owners have alarms these are generally only triggered when the vehicle is entered - not when the spare wheel is stolen from underneath the vehicle.

"You may want to consider putting the spare wheel inside the vehicle.

"Alternatively, you may wish to consult with your vehicle manufacturer or a local locksmith about how your spare wheel can be secured, such as using locking wheel nuts or lockable wheel restraints."