CAR thefts increased last year in Dyfed-Powys, according to the latest police recorded crime figures – a rise likely propelled by an increase in keyless cars.

The trend has led vehicle manufacturers to demand tighter controls on the “open sale” of equipment used by criminals to steal cars.

Between April 2017 and March 2018, 272 vehicles were stolen, data from the Home Office reveals.

That is an increase of 12 per cent on one year earlier, when 242 thefts were recorded.

That means, in Dyfed-Powys, five vehicles were stolen for every 10,000 residents in the area.

Car thefts are on the up in England and Wales, increasing by 15 per cent since 2016/17, and 40 per cent over the last five years.

Police and motoring campaigners have said this is probably due to a rise in keyless car thefts.

A spokesman from the Asso­ciation of British Insurers said that criminals are exploiting the vulnerabilities of the entry system by using pairs of radio transmitters to capture the signal from the vehicle’s fob, among other methods.

He added: “The theft risk will be one of many factors taken into account by insurers when assessing the price of your insurance policy.

“In recent years the average cost of motor insurance has been rising – in 2017, the average motor premium paid rose by nine per cent on 2016 to a record high.”

In Dyfed-Powys there were 54 cases of aggravated robbery – for driving the stolen vehicle dangerously on the road or causing an accident.

Police also recorded 518 incidents related to thefts from vehicles, either of personal belongings, radios or other items.

That is a decrease of 12.5 per cent from the previous year.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition tomorrow