Car thieves race through Capital's streets at 90mph

JOYRIDERS who stole a pair of powerful Audi cars after breaking into a house to steal the keys raced them through the streets of the Capital at speeds of up to 90mph.

The Audi A6 and A4 were spotted by police patrols who pursued the vehicles through the city, but in both cases they were able to escape.

Motoring groups today branded the joyriders "crazily suicidal" and said their driving was fortunate not to end in tragedy.

The cars were stolen from a home in Boswall Road in Granton in the early hours of yesterday morning. A police patrol spotted the Audi A4 in the west of the Capital and pursued it through residential streets before losing it.

In the second incident, a patrol spotted the Audi A6 in Drum Brae South, but lost it in the Broomhouse area where its speed reached 90mph.

The car thefts were the latest in a string of recent incidents where vehicles were stolen after the owners' keys were taken during a break-in.

A police spokesman said: "An investigation is underway following two vehicle pursuits that happened in Edinburgh in the early hours of yesterday morning.

"The first pursuit happened after officers on mobile patrol spotted a dark coloured Audi A4 being driven erratically in the west of the city at around 2:30am, and signalled for the driver to stop.

"The driver failed to comply, and a pursuit took place through residential streets, before the vehicle was eventually lost to sight on Broomhouse Road.

"A short time later, officers spotted a dark coloured A6 being driven at speed in Drum Brae South, and another pursuit took place after the vehicle failed to stop. Again, the vehicle was lost to sight in the Broomhouse area."

Neil Greig, director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "This was almost crazily suicidal behaviour from these joyriders. No car is designed for driving at those speeds on urban roads with passing cars, parked vehicles and pedestrians.

"It sounds like the police had a very difficult night. They want to pursue people who are driving badly, but they have to balance that with thoughts of public safety if they continue to go after somebody intent on getting away."

Mr Greig added: "Because of immobiliser technology, no car under ten years old will start without a key and car thieves and joyriders know that. Owners have to avoid leaving their keys somewhere in the home where they are easily seen or found."