Steal wheels
Locksmiths raise alarm over £600 gadgets for sale online that can unlock any car
THIEVES are using £600 lock-picking gadgets bought on the internet to break into cars in just seconds.
A Sunday Mirror investigation reveals hi-tech decoders are legal to buy and are sold with video instructions.
Even new motors with state-of-the-art locks can be broken into in moments.
And with no sign of illegal entry motorists face an insurance minefield to prove they did not leave their vehicle unlocked.
Locksmiths want the Government to introduce controls on selling the devices.
The gadgets look like a normal car key and many companies shipping to the UK are based in eastern Europe.
LEGITIMATE
They are sold as tools for locksmiths. Additional equipment to hack a car’s immobiliser is sold separately – though some older cars can be driven away with the key alone.
Steffan George, of the Master Locksmiths Association, said: “It’s perfectly legitimate for locksmiths to have it. The issue is that it is available to anybody else who wants it.
“We would like to see locksmith equipment restricted to only those who have met certain criteria. Anybody can call themselves a locksmith at the moment – tradesmen can use our badge if they meet certain criteria, but there is no licensing.”
One contractor contacted the Sunday Mirror after his new Ford Transit van was broken into, with £10,000 of tools taken.
The carpenter tracked thieves down by i d ent i - fying a unique tool they were selling on eBay. Police discovered at least three of his neighbours’ cars had been raided within minutes on the same night.
The tradesman said: “I had an older Ford Transit that you could unlock with a key that only costs £25 online. Because of that I bought one of the new ones. But the new van was broken into, with no signs of damage whatsoever. I found out they’d used these decoders which open any lock.
“I searched for them online and they even come with videos showing how you can get into cars with no previous training.
“The insurers won’t pay out because they say I must have left it unlocked.”
The devices operate by identifying the position of pins inside a lock. A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesman said: “It is a concern.
“We are working with the Home Office and across key industries to prevent the effectiveness of these devices and to roll out new, more difficult to access locks.
“People should report websites or other sources of tools or advice that are encouraging or facilitating crime.”