Appeal and advice following keyless car thefts in Fleet

Officers are appealing for information and offering advice following a spate of five keyless car thefts in Fleet.

Details of the incidents are as follows:

At some time between 12.30am and 7am on Tuesday, 4 May an orange BMW M4 was stolen from the driveway of an address in Kingfishers.

At 4.45am on Tuesday, 4 May an attempt was made to steal a BMW from the driveway of an address on Upper Wield Drive. The owner of the car saw two men near his vehicle and scared them off. They left empty handed.

The men were described as, white, around 5ft 10ins to 6ft and they appeared to be young in age. They were dressed all in black with black hats, black face masks, black jackets, black trousers and black footwear. They were carrying black backpacks.

At around 7.40am on Wednesday, 21 April a black Mercedes Benz was stolen from the driveway of an address in Fullerton Close.

Overnight between Tuesday, 20 April and Wednesday, 21 April a black BMW 520D XDRIVE was stolen from the driveway of an address on Upper Mount Street.

Overnight between Tuesday, 20 April and Wednesday, 21 April a blue BMW was stolen from the driveway of an address in Copse Close, Fleet.

Inspector Jennifer Lovegrove, said: “In each of these cases the vehicles have been stolen without the use of keys. Offenders are using increasingly sophisticated tools to steal cars with keyless entry by tricking the system into thinking the key is nearby. They do not need to gain access to your home to take the keys.

“Were you in the area the time? Might you have CCTV or dash cam footage that could help?  I am urging anyone with any information about these incidents to get in touch with us.”

Tips for preventing Keyless Car Theft:

· Hide Keys: keep keys out of sight from doors and windows

· Signal Blocking: Use a certified pouch or tin to store keys which will block the signal

· Deterrent Locks: Use Sold Secure approved products such as steering wheel, pedal or gear locks to deter offenders

· Parking: Park in a garage if you have one. If parking on your driveway consider fitting outdoor motion detector lighting and CCTV from installers who are members of the National Security Inspectorate or the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board.

Anyone with information should call Hampshire Constabulary on 101 quoting 44210169626.