High-tech car thieves are targeting one model more than any other across the UK, new research has revealed.
Crooks are believed to be using technology to steal the vehicles, using devices sold online for around £1,300 to simply drive the cars away in less than 90 seconds.
And in bad news for Land Rover owners, the luxury SUVs have been named as Britain's most stolen car - as gangs use key fob technology to make off in the £100k motors in rapid time.
Read more - Heartache as West Lothian mum dies moments before daughter crowned gala day queen
The Daily Star reports how latest figures show one in every 100 Land Rovers were stolen in the year ending March 2023, with The Times reporting how car hackers were using hardware that could override a car's security system.
Land Rovers have a rate of 924 thefts per 100,000, according to the latest figures obtained by Confused.com, with Mercedes-Benz coming in at second as the most popular target, with 323 cars stolen per 100,000.
They were followed by Ford, BMW and then Audi, with the data revealing that black cars were more likely to be stolen than any other colour.
Ken Munro, of security company Pen Test Partners, said: “I think they underestimated the ability of technologists to weaponise these attacks." Teeside Live has reported on how some of the stolen Land Rovers have been involved in serious incidents on the roads.
In one incident a taxi driver was seriously injured earlier this month (June) after a suspected stolen Range Rover being pursued by police collided with their vehicle at Stockton's Bridge Road.
A stolen black Land Rover ploughed into the ground floor of a Thornaby flat after being briefly pursued by police, and in January, a schoolboy was arrested after driving a Range Rover in a police chase along the A17
A spokesman from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said: "Protecting our clients from this level of organised crime is our priority.
"We have a team of dedicated experts working closely with police and partners - our proactive approach enables us to support criminal investigations; spot emerging trends earlier; and quickly determine and roll out measures that counter this criminality.
“One such solution includes UWB (ultra wide band) technology - JLR were the first manufacturer to integrate this into our vehicles to prevent ‘relay attacks’ (keyless).
"Our cars featuring this technology have been independently verified by the Which? and the ADAC.
"Our production vehicles are equipped with industry-leading security systems, and vehicles are fitted with Secure Tracker vehicle tracking systems - recently being rated by Thatcham Research as ‘superior’.
“We recommend clients use all available measures to protect their vehicle, including our ‘remote’ app to access a suite of security features such as vehicle lock reminders, and ‘guardian mode’ which monitors the vehicle, providing an alert if there is any unauthorised interaction."
A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "After a recent spate of 'keyless' thefts of vehicles across Cleveland, drivers are being reminded to store digital key fobs securely. Predominantly the incidents happen between 10pm and 6am.
"Ford Fiestas are one of the main cars stolen, with Range Rovers and other Ford vehicles also targeted.
"Whilst officers continue to gather intelligence and work to identify those responsible, we would remind drivers to keep taking steps to help protect their vehicles.
"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."
READ NEXT:
Miss Scotland 'drunkenly ejected from Edinburgh sports event by stewards'
Scottish mum horrified after council dump box of dirt on tragic daughter's grave
