By MATT STRUDWICK
Nick Ferrari has had his brand new £60,000 Jeep stolen from outside his gated home in London.
It is feared keyless car thieves may have used a device to unlock the LBC presenter's plush 4x4 before driving away without leaving a trace of evidence.
Mr Ferrari, 66, told MailOnline it felt 'strangely personal' before praising Scotland Yard's response to the brazen theft.
He said: 'While this in no way compares with being a victim of a personal or violent crime, and I'm not for a moment suggesting that, to open my gates, gain entry to the car without any smashing of glass or anything that left the slightest trace of evidence, is disturbing.
'The police have been hugely supportive and I've had both a phone call and an email.
'In this instance they couldn't be doing more. I just wish the bloody criminals were doing considerably less.'
Mr Ferrari had left his home in Blackheath at 5pm on May 12 but to his horror found his black Jeep Wrangler Overland was gone from the driveway when he returned the next day.
Has YOUR keyless car been stolen? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk
Nick Ferrari has had his brand new £60,000 Jeep stolen from outside his gated home in London
Mr Ferrari, 66, (pictured in September 2024) told MailOnline it felt 'strangely personal' before praising Scotland Yard's response to the brazen theft
'As someone once sang, I love driving in my car… I really did. I'd be immensely grateful if anyone who has information could help,' he said.
A spokesperson for the Met told MailOnline: 'On Tuesday, 13 May we received a report that a car had been stolen from outside a residential property in Blackheath.
'We are carrying out CCTV checks and house-to-house enquiries in the area. The investigation is ongoing.'
Car thefts have spiralled to a 15-year high with experts blaming 'smart keys' that allow keyless access to a wide range of high-end vehicles.
Armed with iPad-sized devices to emulate electronic fobs, thieves can open newer vehicles and drive away within seconds.
New laws are set to ban electronic devices used to steal cars - with the people who make or sell signal jammers facing as much as five years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Close to 130,000 car thefts were reported to the police in 2023/24, official statistics show, while more than 700,000 vehicles were broken into.
This marked the highest toll since 2008/09, when criminals were more likely to pick locks or smash windows before hotwiring cars and speeding off.
Although not all will have been by thieves using 'emulators', insurers say the trend is increasing.
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Official data shows an offender manipulates a signal from a remote locking device in 40 per cent of vehicles thefts.
Admiral, the UK's largest motor insurer, said around two-thirds of cars stolen in 2023 were keyless.
Terrifying CCTV footage has shown masked crooks, hidden by the cover of darkness, 'hacking' cars sat on their own driveway.
Earlier this year, a man had his £25,000 Ford Ranger stolen after two keyless car thieves made off with it in the dead of night.
Footage of the culprits revealed how they managed to steal the vehicle from the family driveway in less than 60 seconds.
One thief swiftly made his way towards the car door while the other runs over to the front of the house, holding what appears to be a signal-scanning device.
More shocking CCTV footage from March last year showed how thugs unlocked a Bentley Bentayga, which was parked in a gated driveway, using a 'master device' to copy the signals of the vehicle's keys and transmit them to a second device to open the car.
After successfully gaining access to the vehicle, worth £169,000, one of the criminals then reverses the motor through two sets of fences in order to escape off the property.
Perry Lovejoy, 29, Luke Jackson, 28, Billy Harrison, 30, and Harry Sales, 28, all admitted charges of conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
They were sentenced collectively to 12-and-a-half years behind bars.
In December an organised crime gang which plundered luxury vehicles worth more than £215,000 were jailed for a total of more than 27 years.
The gang targeted high value cars parked at luxury homes in multiple burglaries across Surrey.
In 2023, police identified a series of residential burglaries which could be linked via a distinctive Audi A8 car, which was one of just 15 in the country.
Sophisticated electronic devices used by criminals in 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales will be banned under new laws as part of the government's mission to make the nation's streets safer. Pictured above is a signal jammer
Shocking CCTV footage from March last year showed how thugs unlocked a Bentley Bentayga, which was parked in a gated driveway by using a 'master device'
One of the criminals is seen using a 'master device' to copy the signals of the vehicle's keys and transmit them to a second device that unlocked the car
A photograph released by police shows tools and number plates used during a series of thefts in Surrey
The gang would scope out a target vehicle and either commit a burglary to steal the keys or use illegal devices to gain keyless entry.
Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson said in March: 'These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives.
'We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.
'This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about.
'These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.
'We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.'
Has YOUR keyless car been stolen? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk