Da Pinchi code: Police warn Bedworth residents glow-in-the-dark road markings could be code for thieves

The drawings can indicate the value of belongings in a house, or if an occupant is vulnerable

Suspicious road markings have been spotted in Warwickshire (Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

Police are warning residents in a Warwickshire town about suspicious markings which have appeared outside properties, over fears they may be so-called ‘Da Pinchi’ codes used by thieves to mark out potential victims.

Glow-in-the-dark symbols emerged overnight in the Bedworth area, Warwickshire police said on Tuesday.

If the drawings are in fact part of the widely reported Da Pinchi code, they would have been drawn outside properties as a signal of what’s inside.

They can relate to whether occupants are away, if an expensive vehicle is on the property, or if a resident is vulnerable.

Other markings can spell out whether a dog could pose a threat to an intruder, whether alarms are in place, or if a property has previously been targeted.

The markings left in Bedworth were on the road, not on the path, as this is where utilities workers would draw using regular pink or green paint.

“If you have been meaning to install security lights and/or CCTV cameras then now is the time to do it,” a statement on the Warwickshire police website advised.

The police also advised homeowners to use their house alarms.

Members of the public who spot new markings should contact the police, but the force urged the public to do so without putting themselves in danger.

Earlier this year, Lanarkshire Police tweeted to warn residents that Da Pinchi code drawings were found in East Kilbride, South East Scotland.

Sgt David Williams of Warwickshire Police told BBC News: “We believe there are about 40 markings in about four different ward areas of Bedworth.

"We are keeping an open mind but we have been looking at the Da Pinchi code. Historically, people involved in criminality use certain symbols and shapes.

"It could be a prank, in which case it's a really silly thing to do, or it could be criminals giving signals.”

Resident Michelle Randall told the broadcaster that she noticed fluorescent green lines outside her house.

"The gentleman down the road said he had seen a car lurking around and when he came home, it moved from outside his property," she said.