Police are hunting a criminal who stole a car in Inverbervie using keyless theft.
The white Ford Fiesta was taken outside Victoria Apartments at Townhead in Inverbervie.
The theft happened at around 1.40am on Thursday.
It comes after a recent spike in the number of the popular hatchbacks being stolen.
Fiesta thefts in Aberdeen
Two Ford Fiestas were stolen in two days in Aberdeen earlier this month. Another was damaged in a similar incident on April 1, with the door handle being forced off.
The recent rise is not limited to Aberdeen. There have been reports of a number of incidents happening further afield in the northeast.
A warning was issued last month to drivers in Tayside after 17 Ford Fiestas were stolen in just three weeks.
The ‘Keyless Theft’ or ‘Relay Theft’ method sees criminals using hand-held technology to search for parked cars that use keyless entry.
If the car key is close enough, the criminals can amplify the signal. They can then send it to a transmitter which mimics the key and opens the car allowing it to be driven off.
Take extra precautions to stop your Ford Fiesta from being stolen: police
Detective Sergeant Scott McKay said: “Fords are often the target of thieves using this method and the number of incidents are increasing.
“We urge all vehicle owners to be aware and take extra precautions to combat this type of criminal activity including not keeping keys or fobs near doors or windows and buying a signal blocking pouch that can block the transmission of the signal from the key.”
The attempted theft of Aberdeen car on April may have been prevented by such a security device.
Called an immobiliser, the electronic device is fitted to the vehicle. This prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key is used, meaning it cannot be “hotwired”.
Detective Sergeant Scott McKay added steering locks can also be an effective tool in stopping vehicle theft.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 0600 of Thursday April 11.
More information about preventing ‘keyless theft’ can be found online.
Conversation