One post to a Port Macquarie Facebook group detailing the theft of two cars from a family's driveway has sparked more people to come forward on social media.
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Lighthouse Beach resident Alana Vergos reached out for the community's help to locate her family's two stolen cars. They were taken overnight Friday (August 26) while she and her husband Nathan and their five-month-old twin daughters, were sleeping.
Ms Vergos also reached out to the Port Macquarie News.
"We were surprised to see that this has happened to others," Ms Vergos said.
Police have confirmed there were several break-ins in the Lighthouse Beach area over the weekend.
Ms Vergos' post on the Port Macquarie Noticeboard page received over 230 comments, some of which detailed similar incidents.
"Another car was also stolen from Lighthouse area, a land cruiser 200 series," one Facebook user wrote on Alana's post.
"We woke up at 3.30am on Wednesday morning with someone in our house. When dad woke up they ran out the front door," another read.
Another post to the same Facebook group by a resident, said their car was found burnt out in their driveway in the Bennet Street area last week. This incident has also been reported to police.
This spate of vehicle theft and damage comes after NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures from May detailed a rise in car thefts in the Port Macquarie Local Government Area.
Officers from the Mid North Coast Police District said the investigation into several break and enters and car thefts in the Lighthouse Beach area is "ongoing".
Detective Inspector Peter O'Reilly said police have received reports of a "few matters" of car theft since Friday (August 26) night.
"There were some other instances of steal from motor vehicle, which is sadly a regular occurrence, but we don't believe these are linked to the car thefts," he said.
"We did have similar offences of break and enters six weeks ago in the Flynn's Beach area, but those perpetrators have been charged. These matters from the weekend are fresh."
Inspector O'Reilly said police are investigating whether the car thefts in Lighthouse Beach are linked to similar offences committed in Coffs Harbour.
"We are looking into whether these offences were committed by local people or people who are travelling up and down the coast," he said.
"It's also too early to say whether these offences are linked to Kempsey."
Ms Vergos' stolen Suzuki Vitara was found burnt out in West Kempsey.
Insp. O'Reilly said at this stage police are investigating all possibilities.
"We're also encouraging anyone to contact police if their home was broken into or their car stolen. We want to work with the community."
Anyone who has information regarding the break and enters is urged to contact Port Macquarie Police Station on 6583 0199 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
