Three motorbikes stolen as PSNI investigates possible link between vehicle thefts in Derry and Strabane

Police are investigating a series of recent vehicle thefts and break-ins across Derry and Strabane, including three motorbikes stolen in the early hours of 22 September.

PSNI says the motorbikes were reported stolen from the Skeoge, Springtown and Creggan areas.

Officers are also investigating vehicles broken into in Templegrove over the previous weekend, a vehicle stolen from Fountain Street in Strabane and another vehicle stolen from The Branch area in Derry.

Police say some incidents may be linked

PSNI has not said that all of the incidents are connected.

The force's wording is more cautious: one line of enquiry is that some of the incidents may be linked. That distinction matters while the investigation remains ongoing.

Police have appealed for information and footage that could help enquiries, asking people to quote reference 166 of 22/09/26 when contacting 101 or using the PSNI reporting service.

What vehicle owners are being asked to do

Alongside the appeal, PSNI repeated practical security advice for vehicle owners.

Drivers are being urged to develop the habit of locking vehicles even when stepping away briefly, make use of garages and locked gates where available and keep keys and ignition fobs safe, out of sight and away from easy reach.

PSNI also highlighted a simple visual clue thieves can exploit: on some cars, extended folding mirrors can indicate that the vehicle has been left unlocked.

Car security is about layers

No single device can guarantee a vehicle will not be stolen. The most effective approach is to make the car harder, noisier and slower to take.

For cars with keyless entry, PureCar's Northern Ireland keyless-theft guide explains PSNI advice around key storage, signal-blocking pouches, steering locks and OBD-port protection.

Motorbike owners face a different theft pattern, but the same layered principle applies: secure storage where possible, strong physical locks, anchoring, alarms and tracking can all add time and risk for a thief.

Do not turn a police appeal into a crime-rate claim

This group of incidents is important locally, but it does not by itself prove that vehicle theft across Northern Ireland is rising.

A short cluster can reflect local offending, one linked series or unrelated incidents occurring close together. Crime trends need broader PSNI data over a defined period.

For that reason, this story should be read as a current police appeal and security warning, not as evidence of a region-wide surge.

What to do if you have footage

Anyone in the affected areas should preserve relevant doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage rather than allowing it to be overwritten.

Even footage that does not show the theft itself can be useful if it captures a suspicious vehicle, clothing, direction of travel or the time somebody entered or left an area.

PSNI asks anyone with information to call 101 and quote reference 166 of 22/09/26. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Source

PSNI appeal for information after vehicle thefts, published 24 September 2026.