Information appeal following keyless theft of Mercedes

Police are appealing for information following the keyless theft of a Mercedes Benz in Coleford over the weekend.

It was reported that a black ML280 CDI Sport with the registration SM58 AUW had been stolen from a farm off Bicknor Street in the Joyford area.

The theft is believed to have taken place between 3pm on Friday (10 December) and 8am on Monday (13 December).

The keyless theft of cars involves offenders using digital equipment to find and relay the signal given out by the car key fob to someone stood by the vehicle with a receiver, allowing them to unlock and start the vehicle without the need of a key.

Anyone who has seen the stolen car, witnessed suspicious activity or has dashcam or CCTV footage they feel may be relevant is asked to please make contact with police.

Information can be submitted by completing the following online form and quoting incident number 119 of 13 December: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

Alternatively you can call police on 101, phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit their website https://crimestoppers-uk.org.

You can help protect your car from theft by following some of the below measures:

• Purchasing a signal suppression pouch/box such as a Faraday Pouch.
• Ensuring that spare keys are kept locked away and considering removing the battery so there are fewer examples of the same key frequency available to target
• Thinking about where you leave your keys when at home. Whilst not guaranteed, the more central the keys are placed within a house, the better. Do not leave keys close to the front door however practical it may be.
• Owners are encouraged to speak to their vehicle’s manufacturer about preventative advice including changing the vehicle’s security and convenience settings or fitting tracking devices.
• Consider having Steering wheel locks, Gear level locks or a ‘Pedal Box’.  A Pedal Box is a bright yellow metal box that is made to fit your car, wrapping around the foot pedals. It has a lock on the box and prevents the pedals from being accessed. Being yellow it can be easily seen and may ward off any potential thieves early. 
• If you have a garage, is there space to store your keyless vehicle inside it? If so, this will not only hide it from view but it will also act as a further barrier to thieves.
• Parking defensively- this can include parking near to bollards, putting non keyless vehicles in front or behind the car in question or having driveway gates as a physical barrier.