Police have issued a warning to owners of ‘keyless entry’ vehicles after three cars were stolen in North Yorkshire.

Two Land Rovers and a Range Rover were stolen from homes along the A63 from Selby to the village of Hambleton in the past two days, North Yorkshire Police said.

A force spokesperson said investigations into the thefts are ongoing.

They urged people who own a keyless entry car to keep their keys away from the vehicle after locking it at home.

“Keyless car theft, also known as 'relay theft', is when criminals use a device to fool the car into thinking the key is close by. This unlocks the car and starts the ignition,” they said.

“Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it’s inside your home. This means that even if your car and home are secure, thieves can still unlock, start and steal your car.”

The spokesperson recommended those with second-hand cars using keyless entry to consider reprogramming the keys.

They added that the wireless signal on the fob should be turned off when not in use if possible.