TWO dozen of Barnsley's most prolific car crooks have been arrested in the last week and £13,000-worth of stolen goods recovered.

The force targeted them as part of a summer drive to cut crime and recovered an in-car DVD system, two high-tech medical devices and a car.

Barnsley's police chief was delighted with the success and says it means the chance of becoming the victim of a car thief is now lower than ever.

Chief Superintendent Andy Brooke said: "I am looking to put relentless pressure on criminals and make their lives a misery.

"We have arrested 24 and it is having a substantial effect on reducing crime. Most of those arrested have been remanded in custody and we have cleared up a number of offences.

"The work does not stop here. There are still other individuals we need to target because vehicle crime is often a starting crime leading to more serious criminality.

Ch Supt Brooke said many of the crimes committed were opportunistic thefts. He added: "A smash and grab raid is so appealing for some thieves. We need people to remove property from their cars."

Detective Inspector Colin Wilson was in charge of the operation and hoped it sent a message to car crooks. He said: “We aim to keep the pressure on auto criminals. Barnsley is no longer a safe place to hide.”

He said the 24 crooks were identified thanks to information from the public.