A Land Rover owner has chained their car to a tree in London to prevent it being stolen.
Range Rovers and Land Rovers were among the most-stolen cars in the UK last year because of their high resale value.
There has been a surge in car thefts in recent years as thieves are increasingly using hacking technology to access vehicles.
The so-called “electronic compromise” thefts also bypass keyless fobs, which have been the subject of increased security by car manufacturers.
Now it appears one owner has taken anti-theft precautions to a new extreme.
Footage posted online shows a Land Rover Defender, which can cost in excess of £100,000, shackled to a tree on a London street. The vehicle also has a specialist lock fitted around its steering wheel.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has revealed it is paying police to crack down on car thefts as part of a £15 million rearguard action against gangs who are smuggling the stolen vehicles abroad.
The intervention comes as the company battles to assuage concerns that a wave of thefts targeting its cars is making them uninsurable, with some customers being denied coverage or quoted unaffordable premiums.
Criminal gangs
Drivers in cities, where car theft is most endemic, have complained of being quoted annual premiums in excess of £10,000, while some insurers flatly refuse to provide coverage for the cars.
In the most extreme cases, drivers were facing yearly insurance demands for £30,000 amid reports that Range Rovers were among the cars most targeted by criminal gangs.
The West Midlands-based car maker subsequently slashed the average price of its in-house insurance by more than 80 per cent, seeking to reassure drivers that if they purchased a new car the company would pay £150 per month towards their premium for up to three years.
Despite this Adrian Mardell, chief executive of JLR, insisted the issue affected all car makers, pointing to statistics that showed other makes, including BMW and Mercedes, were also being targeted.
One Land Rover owner who lives in east London, told The Telegraph that chaining his car to a tree may be “the only way of guaranteeing” his vehicle isn’t stolen.
Mark Watson said: “After hearing stories of friends having their cars stolen I’m now genuinely considering more security for mine.
“I’ve already bought a £150 wheel lock, but maybe chaining it to a tree is the only way of guaranteeing I don’t lose £100,000 overnight.”
Land Rover was contacted for comment.
