Hundreds of popular cars ‘at risk of keyless theft’

"Thieves have been using keyless theft for several years, but manufacturers continue to make new models that can be stolen in this way, meaning there is an ever-larger pool of vehicles for thieves to target," Which? said in a statement.

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Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, said manufacturers needed "to up their game".

A growing number of new cars are made with keyless entry systems, allowing owners to open them with the brush of a hand, as long as their actual key is nearby - for instance in their pocket.

However, thieves can fool these systems with special devices, allowing them to enter the vehicle and drive away.

Car theft is much lower than it was in the 1990s but has been rising, with keyless technology thought to be partly to blame.

In the year to March 2018, more than 106,000 offences of theft of or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle were reported to police in England and Wales - the highest annual total since 2009.

Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), said: "Industry takes vehicle crime extremely seriously and any claims otherwise are categorically untrue.

"New cars are more secure than ever, and the latest technology has helped bring down theft dramatically with, on average, less than 0.3% of the cars on our roads stolen.

"Criminals will always look for new ways to steal cars; it's an ongoing battle and why manufacturers continue to invest billions in ever more sophisticated security features - ahead of any regulation.

"However, technology can only do so much and we continue to call for action to stop the open sale of equipment with no legal purpose that helps criminals steal cars."