Car thefts up by 30 per cent in three years

Staff writer
A thief breaks into a car during a mock-up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Belfast, Monday November 21, 2005. More than £1.6 million worth of property has been stolen from vehicles in Northern Ireland over the last year, police revealed today. Half of all thefts happened in residential areas, with around a quarter each in car parks and at the roadside. Audio equipment was the most regularly seized, followed by tools, car parts and handbags. See PA Story ULSTER Vehicle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Faith/PA

As vehicle safety, comfort and technology improves, you might imagine security would follow this trend. But modern cars may not be as secure as their older counterparts, with police data revealing that car thefts have increased by 30 per cent over just three years.

Despite sophisticated electronic entry systems, security experts believe gangs of car thieves have caught up with technology. It's now possible for thieves to bypass vehicle security without the keys, merely by boosting the signal from a remote keyfob.

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