Men charged in connection with string of car thefts in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Central Belt

The incidents happened between Friday, November 1 and Thursday, November 28, where six cars were reported stolen in different locations.

A 35-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the thefts after officers carried out enquiries on Friday, December 6. He appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday, December 19.

A second man aged 36 was charged on Saturday, December 21 in connection with two of the thefts and driving whilst disqualified. He is expected to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, December 23.

Two men have been charged in connection with a number of keyless car thefts in Edinburgh, Bathgate, Wishaw, Uddingston and Stirling

Sergeant Steven Brown said: “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.

“Buying a secure signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday bag or RFID signal blocker that can block the transmission of the signal from the key, can also help keep your vehicle secure. Steering locks can also be effective, while vehicle trackers and tracking devices are also a form of additional security and can assist police in recovering stolen vehicles quickly.”

Keyless car thefts occur when criminals use a range of electronic devices to clone keys to start the vehicle. The whole process can take around a minute and due to safety reasons, the engine will not cut out if the original car key is out of range. You can learn more about preventing keyless car thefts by visiting the Secured by Design website.

Anyone with information about these thefts can contact Police Scotland on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.