Stolen keyless car recovered in record time but manufacturers urged to improve tech to prevent future cases

The vehicle was stolen overnight from a workshop where it was awaiting repairs and an MOT.

When the theft was discovered the garage owner alerted the police who immediately contacted Tracker Network.

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The stolen vehicle recovery expert activated the car's tracking device, enabling TaysidePolice and other Police Scotland units to locatethe Audi.

With aerial assistance from the National Police air support, officers quickly found the car alongside the stolen van used in the theft on a side road in Dundee.

The thieves employed drastic measures to access the Audi TT. They first stole a van from Dundee and drove it to Fife, where they used it to ram open the workshop door. Within minutes, the criminals made off with both the Audi and the stolen van.

The garage owner discovered the theft the following morning when opening the workshop.

Steve Whittaker, Tracker Police Liaison Manager said: "The ongoing shortage of spare parts has led to high numbers of thefts to order, where vehicles are stripped for valuable parts.

"This isn't just happening to high-end expensive vehicles, as Mr Davies found, lower value and older vehicles are just as desirable to thieves, as their parts are often no longer manufactured, so are harder to find by legitimate means."

The swift recovery was made possible by Tracker's combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology, which is detected by tracking console units fitted in police patrol vehicles.

Mr Davies owner of the Audi stated: "While the car has over 220,000 miles on the clock and is worth only £2,000, it is my pride and joy. I've probably spent more on the service and maintenance costs then what I paid for it in the first place, so as you can imagine, I was gutted that it was stolen.”

Tracker boasts a 95 per cent success rate in vehicle recovery, with 50 per cent of stolen vehicles found within four hours and 80 per cent returned undamaged within 24 hours.

Whittaker commented: "We often find stolen vehicles parked temporarily on quiet roads or in car parks while the thieves watch and wait to see if it will be tracked, like it was this time."

He emphasised the importance of vehicle tracking systems: "We have no doubt that this car would have been stripped for parts if Tracker had not helped the police locate it quickly."

More than 2,000 police patrol vehicles and all police helicopters are equipped with Tracker detection units.

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To prevent keyless car theft, experts advise keeping key fobs away from vehicles when not in use and storing them in closed tins or Faraday bags to block signals.