Car key cloning warning
Kibworth resident Andrew Southerden has resorted to using a steering lock to stop thieves who have cloned his keys from taking his vehicle again. (Picture: Andrew Carpenter/MHMP 001601-24)
A CAR belonging to the landlord of a popular Kibworth pub was stolen by thieves who cloned the keys to take it.
Andrew Southerden (50) has spoken out about the theft of his BMW to warn others about their vulnerability to this kind of theft.
The car was stolen on Saturday, October 6 from his home in Leicester Road, Kibworth.
Although it has now been returned to him, Mr Southerden said that the cost to him of replacing personal effects that were taken from the car and having new keys commissioned will be at least a £1,000.
His insurance will also be affected by the theft.
Mr Southerden said: “I looked out the front of my house and saw that my car was missing. I rang my wife to say why did you take my car and she said ‘I’m not in the car I’m in the van’.”
When Mr Southerden realised the car was missing he reported it to the police but it wasn’t until later that it was found by police in Lincoln, who said that he had been the victim of key cloning.
He said: “There was no breakage on the car. There was no forced entry. The crooks have obviously got a way to forge a key.”
Mr Southerden said that drivers of Audis are also vulnerable to this type of theft.
He said: “My main thing of going live with it is to tell any other BMW users how vulnerable your car is.
“This thing is going to put millions of pounds worth of claims on to everybody’s insurance.
He said there was a programme on Watchdog about it.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Sunday 26 May 2013
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