British motorists are facing a stark new reality as a sophisticated form of crime, known as keyless car theft, sweeps across the nation. Criminals are now employing advanced technology to clone the signals from keyless entry fobs, allowing them to steal vehicles from right outside owners' homes in a matter of minutes.
A Chilling Wake-Up Call for Drivers
The severity of this threat was highlighted by a shocking piece of doorbell footage from Wolverhampton. The video captured a masked man tracing the outside wall of Abbie Brookes-Morris's home late at night. Using a device known as a relay amplifier, the thief cloned the signal from her key fob, which was inside the house, unlocked her car, and drove away calmly within seconds.
Ms Brookes-Morris described the incident as feeling like an 'invasion' and revealed the entire theft took just 'two minutes in total to arrive, look at the car, get the signal and leave.' Her vehicle was later found abandoned but had been rendered unusable due to the damage inflicted during the crime.
The Technology Behind the Crime Wave
Jake Lambert, a temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, stated that these growing reports are a 'wake-up call for all drivers.' He warned that car crime is evolving, becoming more organised and rapidly executed.
The attacks utilise relay amplifiers, which are capable of defeating factory-fitted security systems in minutes. Contrary to manufacturer claims of impenetrability, these devices, which criminals buy and sell online for over £20,000 each, effectively extend the signal from a key fob inside a home to the vehicle on the driveway.
This crime is not isolated. Nottinghamshire Police are currently seeking two individuals after a BMW was stolen from a driveway in Awsworth using the same keyless method. Official figures underscore the scale of the problem: according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, remote locking devices were used in 40% of vehicle thefts in 2022-2023. The Metropolitan Police Service estimates that signal jammers, used to prevent tracking after a theft, are involved in roughly 60% of all vehicle thefts in London.
Fighting Back: Prevention and New Laws
In response to this escalating threat, the government is taking legislative action. The Crime and Policing bill, recently debated in the House of Lords, proposes a new offence that would ban the possession or distribution of 'vehicle theft equipment'. This would include relay devices and signal jammers, with a maximum sentence of five years upon conviction.
For individual car owners, security expert Jake Lambert strongly advises proactive measures. He recommends investing in simple, high-impact prevention tactics, which include:
- Storing key fobs in a Faraday pouch or a signal-blocking box when not in use.
- Using traditional, visible deterrents like a steering wheel lock.
- Ensuring your insurance policy is fully comprehensive and up-to-date.
'The first line of defence is taking low-cost, proactive steps,' Mr Lambert added. With 23,189 cars reported stolen in the UK in the first half of 2025 according to DVLA records, the message for keyless car owners is clear: vigilance and simple security measures are no longer optional.
