MOTORISTS have been warned to take care following a spate of thefts from cars, some of which had been left unlocked.

In one incident in York a handbag was taken from the footwell of an open-top convertible.

An iPhone and a sat-nav were stolen from a vehicle which had been left unlocked in Harrogate, and a wallet and loose change were taken from two vehicles left unlocked in a village near Richmond.

North Yorkshire Police urged motorists to lock their vehicles and remove all valuables.

Meanwhile, in the Selby area, a series of incidents occurred in the early hours of Monday, including the theft of a red Honda Civic registration J605MLC, from a house in Bracken Hill Close, Brayton.

A gold-and-green Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 was broken into outside a house in Garden Court, Flaxley Road, by thieves who used a screwdriver to attack the lock. They then tampered with the ignition, but were unable to steal the vehicle.

A red Nissan Micra was broken into outside a house in Darcy Road, Selby, by vandals who bent the offside door.

They also damaged the ignition in an attempt to steal the vehicle, but although it was moved a few yards, the attempt failed.

In Knottingley, a black Suzuki Liana GL and a silver Peugeot 306 were broken into at neighbouring houses in the High Street. The nearside front window of the Suzuki was smashed, and the door of the Peugeot was bent to gain entry.