A CAR dubbed the "rat trap" - which automatically locks a thief inside - is being used on the streets of Little Hulton and Walkden. The special vehicle, and other decoy cars, are being parked on local streets as part of a major operation to combat the epidemic of car Crime throughout the Salford area. The car, which has been used over many years in Liverpool, is left unattended and will lock automatically, trapping a thief inside, if it is broken into.
Extra police including detectives, undercover officers and the force's Tactical Vehicle Crime Unit are involved in the operation.
Salford Council is supporting the police operation by closing "rat run" routes through housing estates, where bollards and posts have been removed by the car thieves, to allow them to escape during a police pursuit.
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