CAR owners have been issued advice following a spate of vehicle thefts in Lanarkshire. 

Since December 2022, 16 vehicles have been stolen in the area through keyless car thefts.

The cars have all been Range Rovers or Land Rovers. 

Six of them have been recovered so far. 

Police are now issuing advice for car owners to say "one step ahead of criminals" and prevent their vehicles from being stolen.

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Supt Raymond Higgins said: "In Lanarkshire, we have seen an increase in keyless car thefts recently and we understand that a stolen car can be very upsetting for owners.

"We have a dedicated team of officers with the priority of investigating these thefts and disrupting this criminal activity.

"The vehicles that have been stolen are Land Rover and Range Rover models.

"It is imperative that car owners stay one step ahead of criminals in the fight against this type of crime and we’d encourage people to take a few extra precautions to support preventing this activity.

"There are few simple things you can do to avoid becoming of a victim.

"When you are at home, keep your car keys or fobs away from the car, don’t leave them near your doors or windows.

"Buy a signal-blocking pouch, this can block the transmission of the signal from the car key. You can buy these online.

"Using a steering lock can be an effective way of ensuring that your vehicle is not stolen, it can be a useful deterrent.

"If you have a garage, I would strongly recommend that you use it to secure your vehicle. Park in the driveway if you have one.

"Additional patrols will be carried out in an effort to prevent this kind of criminality.

"If you witness any suspicious activity, I would ask you to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

You can find out more on how to keep your vehicle safe HERE.