Police are urging people to be on their guard and protect their vehicles after an increase in thefts across Street and Glastonbury.

They are keen to remind owners of keyless cars to protect their property with the use of crime prevention equipment.

Locking your vehicle, even when filling up or parked on your drive, greatly reduces the possibility of it being targeted by an opportunist thief

Even if you have locked your vehicle, check you haven't left any windows or the sunroof open.

If your vehicle has wing mirrors that fold in automatically when locked, make sure you lock it properly. Police say that criminal gangs are looking for vehicles like these where the wing mirrors are still out because it is clear to them that the vehicle has been left unlocked.

A police spokesperson said: "In light of the recent surge in vehicle thefts across Street and Glastonbury, we're urging the community to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to safeguard their vehicles.

"Modern technology, while advancing vehicle security, also presents new opportunities for thieves, especially with keyless entry cars.

" It's crucial that vehicle owners adopt robust crime prevention measures, such as using Faraday Bags for key fobs and ensuring their vehicles are always locked, with no windows or sunroofs left open. We're also seeing an increase in sophisticated methods like relay theft, where thieves can unlock and start cars by intercepting the signal from key fobs.

"This highlights the importance of keeping keys safe and using additional security measures like steering locks and immobilisers. Our aim is to disrupt these criminal activities and protect our community's property. Remember, vigilance and taking these simple steps can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of car theft."

Keep the keys safe

Vehicles today are by and large more difficult to steal than ever, unless the thief can access your key or fob to clone them. Keep your 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.

Keyless entry 

Cars with keyless entry unlock automatically when the key comes within a short distance of the car.

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.
• Reprogramme your keys if you buy a second hand car.
• Turn off wireless signals on your fob when it's not being used.
• Steering locks are also a simple yet effective tool to protect your vehicle, it adds an extra layer of security to your car and is a great 'old school' security measure.

Additional physical security such as locks and immobilisers are still highly recommended.

What happens when a car is stolen?

Stolen cars are usually stripped for parts, resold, used by thieves for transportation – sometimes to aid other criminal activities – or just abandoned. Cars used for joyriding are often ditched or set on fire.

It's believed that some stolen cars – specifically luxury vehicles – are given false plates and shipped abroad, although it's difficult to substantiate what percentage of vehicles are smuggled overseas.