Car security advice issued following Land Rover theft in the New Forest

We’re investigating an incident in which a Land Rover Defender was stolen from a driveway in Brook, New Forest.

This was reported in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 15 April) and our enquiries are ongoing.

We are taking this opportunity to provide some advice to residents regarding vehicle security, including keyless car theft, which you can read further down.

We also encourage anyone who has witnessed suspicious individuals or vehicles in their neighbourhood to report this to police. You can do this by calling 101 or by using the reporting tool on our website: www.hampshire.police.uk

Dial 999 in an emergency or if an incident is in progress.

General Advice

• Lock your vehicle and check the door handle
• Keep the keys safe - out of view when at home, and away from your front door. It’s not uncommon for car keys to be stolen from inside your home by thieves fishing for them with a stick and hook through the letterbox.
• If you're selling your car and you meet up with a potential buyer, do not allow the keys out of your sight. Your keys may be cloned by thieves and used later to steal your vehicle.
• Parking: use a garage if you have one, a Master Locksmith Association approved company will be able to provide advice on keeping your garage secure with additional locks, consider fitting a garage alarm. If parking on a driveway, try to park defensively, as close as possible to your property to make access difficult. Consider fitting outdoor motion detector lighting and CCTV from Inspectorate Approved installers who are members of a recognised body such as National Security Inspectorate, or Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board.
• If you have to park on the road make sure to park in a well-lit area. Park with your wheels turned towards the kerb and the car in gear, this makes it harder for thieves to tow your vehicle
• Keep documents at home. Don’t leave your logbook or service records in your car

Keyless Car Theft

Cars with keyless entry unlock automatically when the key comes within a short distance of the car. This can be from inside a pocket or bag. If you have to push a button on your car key to open your car, you don't have keyless entry.

Keyless car theft or 'relay theft' is when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the key is close by. This unlocks the car and starts the ignition.

Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it’s inside your home. This means that even if your car and home are secure, thieves can still unlock, start and steal your car.

How to protect your keyless entry car:

• When at home keep your car key (and the spare) well away from the car.
• Put the keys in a screened or signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag and check if the bag or pouch is still working every few months.
• Re-programme your keys if you buy a second hand car.
• Turn off wireless signals on your fob when it's not being used.
• Fit good in-car security locks – there are a range of security rated products tested by Sold Secure that can help, such as steering wheel locks, pedal boxes and gear stick locks. Some of these products, tested to Sold Secure Diamond, can even resist a small hand-held angle grinder.
• It's also worth speaking to your vehicle dealership about installing an aftermarket immobiliser approved by the manufacturer. Immobilisers prevent a vehicle from starting unless the correct fob, key or activation process is used. They can be personalised so that you're the only one who knows how to unset it via a number of dashboard controls.