BLACK cab drivers have been hit by an unprecedented wave of thefts costing thousands of pounds over the past week.

A total of eight taxis were broken into while outside their owners' houses - including four on Monday night alone - prompting police to urge cabbies to take extra safety precautions.

Satellite navigation systems, stereo equipment and personal belongings such as sunglasses have been stolen and one cab had its entire undercarriage removed, including its valuable catalytic converter and exhaust unit.

South Woodford cabbie Trevor Wright, 49, of Ashbourne Avenue, has been a black cab driver for ten years and said he believed they were being deliberately targeted.

He said: "I'm annoyed as what they took was pretty worthless. My DVD player was unscrewed and taken and my faceless radio but they are fixed items anyway and so I can't take them inside.

"I think this is probably quite an organised little gang who believe that we are stupid and leave lots of valuables in our cabs but that's really very unusual."

Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association executive Richard Massett said he had never heard of such a concentrated spate of robberies.

He said: "There's not been anything like this that I'm aware of but would encourage all members to be extra careful."

On the night of Saturday, May 17, a cab window was smashed and stereo stolen in Ashbourne Avenue, South Woodford, and the same night a car in Highfield Road, Woodford Green, had its front window damaged.

Sometime after midnight on Sunday, a car was broken into in Roding Lane North, Woodford Green and goods worth £500 were taken from it, including a satellite navigation system.

Then on Monday night taxis in Elmcroft Avenue and Ashbourne Avenue in South Woodford, Uplands Avenue in Woodford Green and South Park Drive, Ilford, were raided with various items snatched.

A spokeswoman for Ilford Police said there were are no suspects and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

She advised: "Taxi drivers should be made aware that all the vehicles have been parked on the street outside a home address or on a driveway.

"All we can probably say is to set your car alarm and make sure that nothing is visible inside the cab that would tempt anyone to break in. Obviously, it's not always possible if you stereo is fixed."

Anyone with any information should call 8478 1123 or their safer neighbourhood team.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/display.var.2285770.0.0.php