In response to residents’ concerns about a growing trend in high-tech vehicle crime, Erewash MP Maggie Throup has raised the issue with the Home Office during a recent session of questions in the House of Commons.
Devices costing as little as £30 can be bought online by criminals and then used to hack into a vehicle's on-board computer system in order to gain access and then steal it.
Speaking in the Commons, Maggie asked:
“Following a spate of vehicle thefts in my constituency, would my right hon. Friend take action to ban the online sale of devices that are helping criminals to steal high-value vehicles by bypassing security coding and reprogramming onboard computer systems?”
To which the Minister replied:
“Vehicle theft is a horrible crime. It is at historic lows, but we are seeing spikes in some areas and we know that the methods used by criminals are constantly evolving. I can reassure my hon. Friend that we are not complacent at all and we are working very closely with industry to make sure we stay ahead of the criminals.”