Met Police in St Margrets are advising residents to be mindful of criminals who are after keyless car keys.

A statement posted online by Met Police St Margaret's said: "We have had an increase of keyless car thefts.

"In order to help prevent this, we recommend keeping your car key away from the front door and/or keeping it in a Faraday Bag when not being used !"

According to a report published by leading consumer group Which? - four of the best selling cars in the UK are at risk from 'keyless theft,' which is also known as 'relay theft.'

It is a process whereby the signal from a key that allows the car door to open, is captured by criminals who maybe standing outside the victim's home or place of business using a device.

The device will then transmit the signal to someone who is standing next to the victims car.

This then tricks the car into thinking the key is close by so it allows the doors to open and starts the ignition.

Thieves only need to be standing a few meters from the car in order to capture the signal.

Residents can prevent this from happening by using a 'Faraday Bag' because it blocks the signal from being amplified by thieves looking to carry out car thefts.