Mum's warning after finding strange markings on her car windows

Mom's warning after finding out what strange markings on her car windows mean — She initially thought the kids had left the marks but wondered if they were perhaps more sinister (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A mother is warning others after repeatedly finding “sinister marks” carved into ice on her car windows.

Laura Morgan, from Wallasey on Merseyside, first noticed the marks on her car about two months ago and assumed they had been drawn by her children.

But as the marks kept reappearing, she began to worry there might be something more to it.

Laura said: “It took me almost two months to even realize what happened.

“I thought it was kids at first, but it happened between 10pm and 6am.”

Security firm Keytek highlighted how criminals sometimes use secret tags to indicate things about property, such as B. an X, which indicates a “good target”.

It states: “These “robbery markers” or “burglary signals” are basic sketches and shapes that are said to be used as “code” to determine if a house is worth targeting.

“These illustrations are also intended to show other thieves what type of person lives on the property, such as whether the residents are vulnerable, elderly, or live in a single family home.”

It added: “Chalk is the main material burglars use because it can be easily removed and is not as noticeable as materials like spray paint markings outside the home.”

Car thief trying to break into a car with a screwdriver. Car thief, car theft. — Markers have previously been used by thieves to indicate which homes to target (Picture: Getty)

“Besides burglar chalk signs, burglars mark homes with just about anything they can; it can be a little dab of paint or a piece of string tied around a lamppost.’

Similar markings have also reportedly been spotted in Stoke, and police forces in County Durham, Lanarkshire and Devon and Cornwall have also highlighted the problem.

Other symbols are said to include a triangle used to show a single woman living alone on the property, or vertical lines suggesting a home has obvious valuables inside.

‘N’ and ‘M’ symbols are also said to be used by thieves to indicate whether a house should be attacked in the morning or at night.

Meanwhile, the Safeguarding Hub – which shares advice and information on how to protect homes across the UK – previously said: “We have a fairly comprehensive knowledge of burglary.

“We have spent many hours speaking to distressed victims, visiting crime scenes and dealing with burglars. We have actually seen and experienced these symbols being used by criminals.

“That’s not to say it’s a common practice between gangs of thieves, as most burglars work alone. We don’t want to scaremonger and we can confidently say that the use of these symbols is very rare.

“But if you’re caring for an elderly or vulnerable person and you discover strange marks outside their home, do you really want to dismiss it immediately without just making sure the symbol is legitimate?”

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