nick46

One of my parents neighbours has just bought a new RS and it got stolen last night from outside his house. They broke in and took the keys. He's only had the car a week or so.
Apparently it's been tracked to Birmingham, so I'd like to think plod has recovered it. But if not I just thought I better post on here in case anyone hears of a new one turning up in the Birmingham area or one being offered for sale.
I've asked my dad to get the registration number off his neighbour which I'll post on here tomorrow. The RS is blue and was stolen from a small quiet town in somerset.

st220kyle

Which towns that mate? Ive seen a few about prior to the one you mention was stolen.

nick46

It was stolen from a small town on the coast called Watchet.
It has to be an organised job cos it's so quiet there, especially where mum and dad lives. Nothing ever happens there. I can't believe someone just happened to go up that particular road (which is a culdesac), and spot a new RS and thought 'I know, I'll break in to the house, get the keys and take a drive to Birmingham! '.
The car was bought from a dealer in Bristol literally a week or so ago.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Considering key theft is the most common way of stealing modern cars, I dont get why people don't secure thier keys somewhere hard to access at home. All the modern security on a car is useless if you just kick in the front door and find the keys on the table/ kitchen draw etc.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Quiet town etc means fuck all in this world and has meant fuck all for a couple of decades. Sure its likely to be organised theft, but even in small quiet towns you have scum and junkie scum who will be looking for any opportunity they can get and who will pass things onto the serious folk (most junkies couldnt organise a needle swap).

People do drive around looking for things to steal. You wont notice a non-descript bland hire car driving around your neighbourhood.

st220kyle

I know watchet, I would of said that was the sort of place you could just leave your car unlocked and not have to worry about it, clearly not. Bristol on the other hand.....

Dennis_Wiseman

iTrader: (1)

Probably just followed it home. Wouldn't be surprised if some have access to motor vehicle data bases of where registered vehicles are

Adam-M

I can see these threads becoming a regular occurrence with the mk3

fuzzy

thing is warren, if someones prepared to break into your house while you are in and asleep its probably better if they have found they keys easily rather than having to wake you up to get them....

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

You obviously dont have family/kids Warren, as if someone broke into my house to steal my Mk3 ST they can have it. I dont want any shit of them threatening me or my family looking for keys - its a car, and its insured.

Dal_

iTrader: (2)

I've heard theives are casually looking around car dealerships and fitting tracker discs to the inside of the wings. Arseholes.

I've a multi-leveled system to securing mine which I obviously won't go into on a public forum (I did type it all out but then thought - WTF are you doing telling them all this you idiot!)

You can't stop thieves but you can make it as awkward as possible so they move elsewhere instead. Keeping it out of general view in a garage is a good start. When we moved a couple of years ago, a double garage was a must.

Hope the OP parents neighbours get it back in one piece.

xr2john

Fuzzy and fudgey hit the nail on the head. If they are going to break in then they can have it. It's only a car. Having your family threatened over a set of keys isn't worth it either for the car or the lasting impact it would have on your family.

But this will end up being a regular occurrence unfortunately

Dennis_Wiseman

iTrader: (1)

This is exactly what they are wanting. A quick easy picking with no confrontation over someone who will hide them and give them a fight

xr2john

Yes thats exactly what they are looking for, but there will be those who won't give a f**k who's in the house.If 4 masked armed blokes pulled you out of your bed at 4am and your kids are in the next room because they want your keys cause you've 'hidden' them would you give them a fight would you? Bearing in mind the noise will wake your kids and the chances are they will see you getting a serious beating if you don't hand them over straight away.

I will just keep leaving keys to be found thanks

Dennis_Wiseman

iTrader: (1)

I don't think they would put themselves in that position mate. It's not something you ever read that happens and there are plenty of these kind of crimes.
What's to stop them jacking your car at the lights? I mean where do you draw the line..

xr2john

Just because you don't hear about it doesn't mean it doesn't happen cause I bet it does and if they are that determined to get what you have be it a focus Rs or a Ferrari they will go to whatever lengths to get it and your right they could try jacking you but they will always try the easier option first

fuzzy

you think there aren't people out there that would do that? you think theyed go to the trouble of tracking you down to your quiet cul de sac breaking in then creeping away quietly with your toaster instead because they don't want to wake your family?

xr2john

Exactly!! Guys obviously still living in the countryside in 1950

gcfcos

You see it on crime watch with rural quiet places, that's where thieves target because they can break in and tie u up etc and take their time as no one about. Wouldn't want to be rich living in the middle of no where. Hope they people get their car back in one piece

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

exactly.

thing is if you want the keys to be found to protect your family then why take the risk having a nice car?

Simple fact is that as key theft becomes the main route of car theft and insurers start to feel the pinch badly, they will put the onus onto YOU the owner to hide the keys in a set way or you wont be covered for theft.

Also the police dont give a fuck as theres nothing in it for them. All they get if they go after them aggressively is a highly dangerous police chase putting the public at unacceptable risk then they get NO conviction as the 4 lads in the car scarper and run and if they catch them they cant prove who was driving.

so catch fucking 22

burnzy

another vote for being followed home, my uncle had a lovely golf GTI turbo for two weeks, got followed home, they took his car and it eventually got found in Nottingham being ragged about on different plates.

gcfcos

That's the other thing, I'm
Not sure I would want it back after some idiots had been thrashing About in it

Adam-M

Tbh you shouldn't have to as they're still being made and in a common colour

Dal_

iTrader: (2)

Surely the best way to combat theft is to become less of a target?

Don't just pull in at home if you think you're being followed.

Don't leave your car in plain site (if possible)

If you have keyless entry, keep your keys in a faraday pouch. The scum can't walk by your house scanning for keys that way and won't know you've got something nice in the garage.

Thankfully for me there's a nearly new Range Rover parked on the drive a few houses up and a Q7 the other way so hopefully I'm less of a target.

Caddyshack

One of my mates we used to call "Ninja Neil" was a double hard bastard, he found a bloke trying to break in to his Fiesta Mk1 Supersport and just casually grabbed him by the hair and bounced his head off the gutter on the car....left him knocked out on the floor and drove off.


Yesterday I needed to buy a new security light and I found a company called netatmo, it is an infra red and normal security light but when it is triggered it records to micro SD with cloud back up and can stream the live video to your phone, it has car, animal and facial recognition so it will not false report when your family come home. It wont false trigger if a fox comes sniffing around either. It also has timelapse for reviewing past footage. Ł250 but if it helps catch the thieves I am all for it, you only need the power supply from a normal security light. You can even turn the light on and off from anywhere via the app.


If it works well then I will buy a few for the house, I already have a high def CCTV but multiple angles can only help and overt cameras may deter.

Adam-M

Do you have a link to those lights mate I wouldn't mind replacing my lights with one?

fuzzy

Maybe he lives in the same street as rod !
The first you'd know of it would be coming to in a daze and confusion after being wacked about thee head with a baseball bat, your kids are screaming, your wife's screaming and they're screaming at you about where the keys are.
Unless your Jackie Chan ninja warrior and sleep with an arsenal of weapons under your pillow your pretty much fucked.
I dont for a second believe theyre going to be gently shaking you awake while wispering can we have your keys please guv and we'll be on out merry way !

Dal_

iTrader: (2)

Got a link to where to get one? Sounds just what I want.

EDIT: Stupid me didn't notice you'd put the name of it...

https://www.netatmo.com/product/security/presence

arch

Bit harsh to say they don't give a whatsit mate. I do agree with the last part mind.

Mr--c

I have a firearms licence have a couple shotguns. And I'm dam sure not insane etc. But if my house was broken into and my children threatened I would be answering this from jail for a long long time and I'm sure a lot of people would do the same ��

Adam-M

I'd rather they woke me up I'd be raging with myself if I slept through it lol

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

again another bullshit statement, if i could afford it id have a lambo sat on the drive - why cant people buy what they want if they can afford it just in case some scrote may try to lift it?

insurance companies probably will get the arse, but if my keys are in the house, and the house is locked then i have taken every precaution i need.

fuzzy

Do you keep your shotguns within arms reach of your bed?

nick46

Right, the vehicle registration is
WT66 CWY and was bought from Trust Ford Ashton Bristol. Apparently there was another RS Stolen from Frome on the same night!

xr2john

Got to be kept in a locked secure approved cabinet as far as I'm aware or that used to be the law in Scotland so unless you've a 9mm under your pillow loaded and ready to go your screwed and even then if your getting dragged out your bed by the hair your still fucked.

Nothing's safe nowadays as I keep saying as if they are hardcore theives then they will do whatever it takes to get what they want end of

Hope they find the car safe and complete but as the hours tick on that gets more and more unlikely unfortunately

Mr--c

They in gunsafe in bedroom cupboard no hair left to be pulled out bed lol, but if I got chance to get them they would be out nobody breaks into my house and threatens family if I was still living in states I would have a weapon in arms reach lol, why should I work my ass off to buy things like a rs and have some low life pond scum steal it, feck that, bring back hanging that's what I say

Adam-M

Buy a new blank key set ect and keep them in your bedside drawer and give them that they will leave the house given you time to do what you want I.e phone police, lock door or grab baseball bat ect.

Big dogs probably best deterrent though.

xr2john

Yeah I totally agree with what your saying but it's getting the chance to try and defend yourself properly in that situation that would be hard. That's the point I keep trying to make. Belive me I've a little aluminium rounders bat under my bed and a few other things about the house and if I was awakened in the middle of the night to anyone in my house then I know I'd end up locked up for a long time and they wouldn't be walking anywhere for even longer

xr2john

Not a bad idea that Adam

I've got myself what will be a big dog when he grows up

moondustka

That looks a lovely dog, what breed?