Herts police have revealed which car is the target of choice for car thieves in St Albans and Harpenden.

During August and September, there were ten car thefts where keys were taken during burglaries – three in St Albans, one in Chiswell Green and six in Harpenden, although two of the Harpenden thefts were prevented.

Det Insp Alex Warwick said: “We have seen a big increase in thefts of cars, with three being stolen during burglaries in Harpenden this month. Volkswagen Golfs seem to be the most popular choice of car that thieves are targeting but other makes have been taken too.”

One or more thieves were disturbed after a burglary on Overstone Road in Harpenden on Tuesday, September 25, where the likely target was a Volkswagen Scirocco. Police believe the theft was prevented because the owner had kept the car keys with him in his bedroom.

Another offender was disturbed on a driveway on Ambrose Lane in Harpenden by the occupant in the early hours of September 23 after they stole a basket of car keys from the house. It is believed their intention was to steal the cars on the driveway.

A Volkswagen Golf and a BMW were stolen from a Wordsworth Road home in Harpenden between September 15 and September 16, however the Golf was later recovered.

A Golf and an Audi were stolen from a driveway in Vale Close in Harpenden on September 2, however both were also recovered.

A Golf and other items were stolen from a property in Sibley Avenue in Harpenden in the early hours of September 1.

DI Warwick added: “I know how frustrating, expensive and inconvenient it is to have your car stolen, and how invasive it is to have criminals on your property, so let’s do everything we can to make it difficult for these thieves.”

Police say criminals are breaking into houses at night to steal keys for vehicles on driveways and using software to activate keyless fobs within a victim’s home while they are outside.

Drivers have been advised to buy ‘faraday’ bags which block the signal from keyless fobs, use crook locks to securely lock your vehicle, and park cars in garages overnight. Having a tracker on a vehicle will increase the chances of recovering it.