AN Ilkley man has been arrested as part of an early morning police raid on car crime in Wharfedale.

The Target Yor-keys Operation saw more than 40 officers involved in raids yesterday on homes across the district in connection with car thefts in Ilkley.

These have risen dramatically in the area as thieves target high standard cars such as Porches and BMWs.

The Yor-Keys thefts are where thieves identify a car they want and break into a house to steal the keys, because modern technology has made it more difficult for them to break into the cars themselves.

A police spokesman said that eight people had been arrested, including a man in his 20s and a teenager, both from Ilkley, in connection with two separate crimes.

He added that further arrests were anticipated as part of the Yor-Keys Operation.

The operation has involved a collaboration between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police to target burglary and car crime.

Det Chief Inspector Roger Gasson from the Keighley Division, said: "Nine police divisions are working together to tackle this problem, sharing information and co-ordinating police operations.

"About 40 officers were involved, they started targeting homes at 7am to arrest people on Yor-keys offences that have been identified on fingerprint and DNA evidence found on vehicles.

"The definition of a Yor-Key crime is where ultimately they break into a home to steal only the keys for cars on the drive. People should not leave their keys lying around.."

Thieves are creating elaborate devices out of canes and even fishing rods with barbs on the end to hook keys through letter boxes and cat flaps.

Ilkley is one of the most vulnerable areas for this type of crime, with a car a day stolen in the Wharfe and Aire Valley.

On Saturday the police will be holding a crime prevention roadshow at Booths and Tesco supermarkets in Ilkley.