CAR thefts in the region have nearly tripled since 2015, figures from West Midlands Police have revealed.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) David Jamieson has also said he will ‘name and shame’ manufacturers ‘who have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to vehicle security’.

Figures published by West Midlands Police show 3,420 vehicles have been stolen from the region in the first six months of 2018, compared with 1,210 over the same period in 2015.

Nearly a third of the thefts were of Fords, with 1,070 stolen, while BMW (333), Audi (327) and Vauxhall (267) were also popular among thieves.

Police say that keyless cars are increasingly being targeted by criminals, who they say are ‘taking advantage of weaknesses in vehicle security systems’.

Neil Horsburgh, from Quinton, had his Audi A5 stolen by thieves in December. It is thought they took advantage of his car’s keyless technology to steal the vehicle.

Then in spring 2018 thieves tried to steal his new Audi S3, but were prevented from doing so thanks to a steering wheel lock - despite the crooks using an angle grinder to try and cut through the metal security bar.

Mr Jamieson met with BMW, Honda, Ford, Nissan, Audi and Jaguar Land Rover back in April to demand they do more to protect cars from thieves, though other car manufacturers did not attend.

And he believes that naming and shaming car manufacturers will help improve security.

“I have been saying for a long time now that manufacturers have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to vehicle security,” he said.

“As keyless technology has grown in popularity more and more cars have vanished from driveways as their owners sleep.

“Some vehicles are being stolen by criminals in less than a minute.

“Now it is time for consumers to see for themselves how secure the cars they are buying really are. That is why I have chosen to name and shame car manufacturers in this way and I will continue to do so until they improve security and help reduce thefts.”

However, the PCC has also accepted that the force must be doing more in relation to vehicle thefts.

And he has said he will ‘put pressure’ on the police to tackle the rise in crime, calling it ‘one of the force’s top priorities’.

“Whilst I’m determined to stand up to the big multinational companies who make our cars I won’t shy away from putting pressure on West Midlands Police either,” he said.

“It has a big part to play in clamping down on these thefts. I am ensuring it is closing down the ‘chop shops’ and catching serial criminals who commit a high proportion of the vehicle thefts.

“It is one of the force’s top priorities.”

West Midlands Police has advised people to purchase a steering wheel lock to help keep their vehicle safe, calling them one of the most effective deterrents for thieves.