AN URGENT warning has been issued to thousands of Brit drivers who risk their cars being stolen in bright daylight.
Motorists have been urged to be even more cautious after cops across the UK found more than 50 illegal body shops that strip down stolen cars.
Stolen cars usually end up at these chop shops before they are completely dissembled.
These parts are then sold separately on the black market.
Cops have found a 72 per cent rise in the number of these illegal workshops as compared to 2023, GB news reports.
They have so far managed to arrest some 80 people with ties to such sites.
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However, police say they still struggle to locate them because of the "industrial-sized jammers" used by these thieves who seem to have become technologically advanced.
It is understood that thieves are stealing cars to strip them down and sell individual parts in black to meet the growing demand for separate parts in the automotive market.
This is because the legitimate aftermarket has been "struggling to supply parts" for vehicles of all sizes and stature.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker said: "[last year] we recovered vehicles ranging from a £150,000 Range Rover Autobiography, all the way down to a £1,000 Audi A3.
“Had we not intercepted these vehicles, their parts would have been sold very lucratively on the black market."
Clives' company also revealed that Essex is the top "hot spot" for chops shops because it is situated near the Tilbury docks.
Experts have now urged Brit drivers to be more cautious amid the soaring number of motor theft cases.
They advise drivers not to park in unlit areas - and try to find parking in residential areas near homes.
Drivers have also been encouraged to invest in security systems including dashcams and security alarms.
Clive added: "With vehicle thefts continuing to rise, the need to ramp up vehicle security has never been more important."
So-called keyless thefts are on the rise, with thugs using modified devices similar to old-fashioned GameBoys to commit the crimes in seconds.
Car hackers use keyless hardware sold online for around £1,300 to override a car's security system in a matter of seconds.
One shocking video from earlier this year showed a gang using a "master device" to unlock a luxury Bentley, before ramming it through a gated driveway and making their escape.
Although the popular vehicles feature sophisticated security systems, crooks are using technology to stay ahead of the curve.
British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has now joined forces with the UK's police department to thwart the rise of car thefts.
The automotive giant announced it will invest "more than £1million" to help cops crackdown on vehicle thefts across the country.
This will help the police force gain additional resources to tackle and respond to high-profile car thefts across the UK.
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It will also allow authorities to investigate theft cases more deeply.
The monetary support will come on top of the car insurance offered by the brand which aims to reduce driver's insurance costs as the increase in motor thefts has forced companies to raise premiums.
Simple methods to protect your motor in 2024
By Jacob Jaffa
EXPERTS have shared three effective methods to protect your motor in 2024 after thefts hit an all-time high last year.
Security specialists from Swansway Motor Group, a family-owned dealership brand based in Cheshire, shared the handy tips and emphasised the importance of "strategic thinking" to stay one step ahead of criminals.
Data from LV General found that 2023 was the worst year on record for car thefts, making it more important than ever to know how to keep your vehicle safe.
Fortunately the team at Swansway have all the tricks you need.
First of all, they urged drivers to consider "strategic parking" to both make the car harder to steal and make it a less attractive target.
Thieves are more likely to try and pinch motors that are out of the way and in non-secure spaces.
Instead, try and store yours in a locked garage, barrier-protected car park or, at least, a well-lit street, preferably with CCTV coverage.
This will make it much harder to make off with it without being spotted.
The second tip is to use "old-fashioned" visual deterrents.
Things like steering wheel locks and distinctive custom markings or bright paintwork can make it more time-consuming to actually steal the car and harder to conceal it afterwards.
Even keeping your car very clean can put off any shady characters as opportunistic thieves tend to target neglected vehicles on the basis that they won't be missed.
Finally, the experts also shared a nifty trick for combatting a more modern and sinister form of theft.
The rise of keyless ignition has led to the increasing chance of "relay thefts", where criminals intercept the signal by which your key fob communicates with your car and replicate it, as good as handing them the keys.
Fortunately, this can be easily prevented by keeping your fob in a Faraday pouch, which blocks wireless signals, when not in use.
A Swansway spokesperson said: "Faraday pouches are a simple, yet highly effective tool.
"By shielding your car keys from external signals, these pouches prevent remote signal interceptions, a common method used by modern thieves to gain access to vehicles without needing the physical key."