Mrs Gavla works for Warwickshire Police and sent me this earlier. Warwickshire has been hit hard by a team targeting BMWs, they are going after 06-11 plates,(gulp, thats me on both age and area ! ) Had 14 away in the past couple of weeks.

Pasted article from Safer Neighbourhood Team below. Look after your cars guys.

NHW NB & NW Increase in thefts of BMW vehicles, without keys, across the Midlands Region. Please check vehicles are locked

Please be aware that since January 2012, 154 BMW vehicles have been stolen from across the Midlands Region. Thieves are targetting vehicles built between 2006 and 2011 and are stealing them without the keys, as in all cases the owners still have all the keys in their possession.

Thieves are targetting vehicles on driveways and in large carparks and wait for drivers to park and leave their vehicle. Once the driver presses the key to lock the vehicle a frequency blocker intercepts the signal causing the vehicle to remain open.

The thief then enters the vehicle when the coast is clear and uses a device on the vehicle which programs a blank key. The key is then used by the offender to drive the vehicle away.

If the frequency blocker is unsuccessful, the thief will often smash a front side window of the vehicle to get in.

Four of the vehicles have been stolen from addresses in Warwickshire but it may well be that the thieves are spreading their wings and Warwickshireresidents will be targetted next.

Please could we advise all BMW owners to try their door handle after using their key to lock their vehicle, to double check that it is actually locked.

Please also have a good look around when leaving the vehicle to see if you can spot anyone waiting nearby or in a vehicle in the vicinity, especially if you check and find the door to still be open.

Please report anything suspicious to Police on 101 as they are very keen to catch these offenders. Thankyou.

Julie Dale

Watch Co-ordinator

Community Protection

Very interesting read after Dabsy post a few days back.

I found out last night where to source the software to do this type of crime, however it is fair to say it is not ONLY BMW, any car with a key fob this can be done to, At a guess the tow rags are going after M tec cars and top end models