Car crime leaves Midhurst dog walker ‘heartbroken’

A 74-year-old Midhurst woman who has been targeted by thieves breaking into her car while she walks her dogs twice in the last six months, says she if she has to give up walking ‘my heart will be finished’.
ks190129-2 Wendy Trafford Car Vandalized  phot kate
Wendy Trafford with Hettie. Wendy had her car vandalized twice.ks190129-2 SUS-191203-194842008ks190129-2 Wendy Trafford Car Vandalized  phot kate
Wendy Trafford with Hettie. Wendy had her car vandalized twice.ks190129-2 SUS-191203-194842008
ks190129-2 Wendy Trafford Car Vandalized phot kate Wendy Trafford with Hettie. Wendy had her car vandalized twice.ks190129-2 SUS-191203-194842008

Wendy Trafford, who lives in Bourne Way, regularly walks her dogs on Ambersham Common.

She has two prolapsed discs and also suffers from an anxiety illness.

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“I couldn’t walk for six months and now with the anxiety illness my doctor calls my three little terriers my ‘therapy dogs’.

“Walking in the countryside is my life and if I can’t do it any more my heart will be finished. I am heartbroken.”

She said she was now too afraid to leave her car on the common while she walked.

She could not afford rising car insurance and was too nervous to leave her car there.

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She leaves her car unlocked because she does not want it to be damaged by thieves breaking in and has a police notice in her car window informing thieves that the car does not contain valuables.

But Wendy believes it was the notice that made her the victim of the latest attack on her car.

“Please warn your readers this was an evil act aimed at me because none of the other cars were touched.

“I believe that the poster did it,” she told the Observer.

She said the second attack happened on Saturday, March 9, when she decided to take her dogs for a walk on Ambersham Common.

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“I parked my car alongside four other cars and next to my friend’s car. I leave my car unlocked with nothing in it bar dog towels, 10p in the change pot, a glued-on camera that only works when the engine is running and a token for supermarket trollies.

“Nothing was taken when the rear window was smashed to smithereens for the second time in six months. If I can’t go out walking for fear of being targeted by these thieves, my heart will be finished,” she said.

“This is a real problem for everyone, I know dozens of people who have had their cars damaged by thieves breaking in to try and steal things.”

She said the police were unable to combat the growing problem and believed it was time for the public to take the matter up. “Perhaps we could have volunteers in their cars manning the car parks,” she said.