The Bedfordview community has been left shocked after a motorist warned others following the theft of her car at Bedford Centre.

Estelle Wentzel said her car was stolen on July 22 after she parked outside a quick-service restaurant (Steers) because parking at the square was closed. She said she walked down the ramp to visit a pharmacy.

“I was gone for only 30 minutes. My low-mileage, well-kept car was gone. How on earth do they get out when you have to scan your number plate on entry? I hate Bedford and don’t usually go there,” said Wentzel.

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Community member Clinton Dooley said it was easy to steal a vehicle at the centre.

“They literally just remove your number plate and pay for the parking.

“You can score a car for R10. The paid parking is there to make money; it has nothing to do with keeping your car safe. It’s well known that the owners of Bedford Centre are only concerned about making money. That’s why so many tenants have left,” he said.

Nazarene Coles said Bedford Centre was like a second home because she grew up shopping there and remembered it as a peaceful and safe place.

However, she said security had declined, crime had increased, and she was shocked to see how many shops had closed.

“They really need to do something about it because they will lose a lot of customers,” said Coles.

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Bedford Centre general manager Linda Linnow said the centre was aware of the reported vehicle theft and appreciated that an incident of this nature was concerning for both the affected customer and the wider community.

“The incident has been reported to the SAPS, and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities.

“We trust the authorities will take the necessary steps in accordance with their investigation and legal processes.”

Linnow said the safety and security of customers remained a top priority. She said the centre had a comprehensive security strategy in place, including on-site security personnel, CCTV coverage, controlled parking access and exit systems, regular security patrols and ongoing monitoring of the parking facilities.

She added that, while isolated criminal incidents could unfortunately occur in any public environment, they were not representative of the experience of the overwhelming majority of customers who visited Bedford Centre each day.

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“We remain committed to maintaining a safe shopping environment and continually review our security measures to ensure they remain relevant and effective in response to evolving risks and industry best practice,” said Linnow.

Bedfordview SAPS was contacted for comment on July 30. At the time of going to print, no response had been received.