West Lothian crime: Residents warned to be vigilant after spate of keyless car thefts

Between October 30 and November 7 police received reports of six vehicles being stolen in Livingston, Bathgate, Broxburn and Whitburn.

Officers believe each of the stolen vehicles were keyless thefts, where thieves use a device to unlock a car when the key is within range - even when inside the car owner’s home.

West Lothian police received reports of six car thefts between October 30 and November 7

Detective Sergeant John Irvine said: “We have officers investigating these thefts with the priority of detecting crime and disrupting this criminal activity.

“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.

“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.

"Anyone with information about these thefts should contact officers via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Further information on keeping your vehicle safe can be found on the Secured By Design website.