Gardaí in Donegal are reminding motorists to be more cautious about defrosting cars on frosty mornings.
It may be tempting to wait in the house while the engine runs, but this creates an easy opportunity for thieves.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Please do not ever leave your car unattended while it is defrosting particularly in a built up area.
“Truthfully, it is probably something that most of us have done at some stage but it is much too risky and you may just be handing your car over to an opportunistic thief as an early Christmas present.
“Why make life easy for criminals? ”
Furthermore, it is an offence under Section 87 of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1963 to leave a vehicle unattended on a public road with the engine running.