Police are warning residents in Gedling and Carlton to be on their guard following a recent rise in reports of car number plate thefts in the area over the past month.
Officers say they are concerned because criminals often steal number plates from legitimate vehicles and put them on cars which will be used to commit crime.
Police are now urging people in the area to buy tamper proof number plate screws which are available from most car part stores to prevent thieves from being able to remove plates.
New private plates can be purchased from https://www.newreg.co.uk/
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The areas most affected seem to be Gedling and Carlton.
“We will continue to patrol these areas to prevent, deter and where possible capture the offenders.”