The number of vehicles stolen with their own keys jumped by 146% in the first six months of 2002, stolen vehicle recovery experts Tracker have revealed.
Tracker compared the figures for January to June 2002 with those from January to June 2001.
There were monthly increases of between 80% and 300%, working out to an average increase of 146% over the six months.
Tracker insurance liaison manager Dennis Lavers said the rise could be attributed partly to the thieves' desire for cars in perfect condition, that had not been broken into or hot wired.
He said the keys were taken from the owners in both house burglaries and muggings.
In the same period, Tracker has recovered an average of £2.6m worth of vehicles per month. This is an increase of 62% on its 2001 figures.
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