A DAD-OF-THREE is warning vehicle owners to be extra vigilant after his doctor wife's top-of-the-range Land Rover was stolen in a 'keyless ignition' theft.

The £40,000 Land Rover Discovery was stolen from the couple's drive in Baildon in the early hours of the morning.

CCTV footage revealed the two-year-old car appeared to have been broken into with a sensor device.

Keyless ignition thefts have been reported in other parts of the country, including London and a spate of incidents in East Lancashire, but victim George Telford last night warned that the crime method had spread to the Bradford district.

Mr Telford, an IT consultant, discovered his wife, Sam's car had disappeared on Sunday morning. When he studied their CCTV it showed the remote break in taking place at 1.20am.

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Mr Telford, 42, said: "The hazard lights suddenly flash, the main lights come on and the mirrors unfold. There is nobody in view. It has been done remotely.

"A short while after, a silver Ford Fiesta appears, pauses and drives off again. Then someone in a hood walks to my wife's car, opens the door and drives away."

Keyless thefts, using remote sensor devices, have been increasing across the country. It is thought the cars are commonly stolen to order, often by eastern European criminal gangs who ship them abroad.

Mr Telford said: "It took just ten seconds, and the vehicle was gone. It's rather worrying. Land Rover owners need to be extra careful and take extra precautions."

West Yorkshire Police's Crime Prevention Officer, Chris Joyce, said: "We are aware of criminals in West Yorkshire who appear to be using devices to steal vehicles with keyless ignitions.

"Where possible, we would advise owners of these vehicles to keep them in a secure, locked garage.

"Keep your vehicle locked at all times when it is unattended, and consider additional security devices.

"We are also aware that these vehicles can be stolen for parts and I would urge anyone who knows of, or who is offered, reduced price Land Rover parts to contact the police, by calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover said: "This is an extremely serious issue for the automotive industry. We have been working closely with police forces across the country and this has resulted in a number of prosecutions.

"We have a dedicated engineering team continuously developing new technologies to try to stay one step ahead of criminal gangs. Three security upgrades have been implemented over the past 12 months. We are now introducing a targeted free upgrade which is being offered to customers in high risk areas with high car crime statistics and we are confident this will address the latest theft mechanisms being used.

"Any Jaguar Land Rover customers concerned about the security of their vehicle should contact their local retailer or the Customer Relationship Team for advice on how best to keep their car secure."