Desperate Landrover owners chaining cars up to trees to stop thefts
Land Rover owners have taken to extreme measures to protect their expensive cars amid a surge in thefts across London. Worried drivers have started chaining their motors to trees to avoid thieves pinching them after crooks started using the car's keyless entry to steal the vehicles in seconds.
A post on social media shows a Land Rover parked up on a quiet, leafy residential street with a bike chain looped around a nearby tree and attached to the back of the expensive car. The heavy-duty chain is rapped around the car and tree at least twice and secured with a large padlock in an attempt to deter thieves.
The high-end vehicle which was earlier this year dubbed Britain's 'most stolen car' is currently battling an reputation crisis. In a bid to shake off the bad press, Jaguar Land Rover announced plans last month to put up £1million to help the police catch car thieves as they look to restore the reputations of their vehicles.
The Range Rover has three of the top five most stolen car models in the UK, MailOnline analysis revealed. DVLA data showed that Lexus RX was the most stolen car model in 2023, but the Velar, Sport and standard Range Rover models all made the top five with the brand's Evoque placing sixth and the Land Rover Discovery in seventh.
The company's bosses denied reports that the car was vulnerable to theft and said the money they were investing was to support police operations in theft hotspots, as well as to fund intelligence gathering.
But owners have been complaining that insurers have been hiking their premiums dramatically, or even refusing cover, leading to the luxury vehicles suffering a large price drop.
Earlier this year, business owner Mark Perring, 52, revealed that he was being quoted £14,000-a-year for an insurance policy on his four by four after he was told Jaguar Land Rover's own insurance would not cover him.
The frustrated motorist decided to ditch the car brand for good and bought himself a new Mercedes GLE which he could insure for about a tenth of the price. In January, CCTV footage showed two masked thieves steal a £70,000 Range Rover in seconds.
The pair pulled up alongside the vehicle in St John's Wood, north London, on a motorbike and pried open the front window of the black 4x4 with a crow bar, before successfully starting the engine and driving off in under a minute. The rise in thefts as seriously undermined Range Rover prices.
The car has seen a sharp decline in price, as owners struggle to get the vehicles insured because of their high theft rate. The average price of a used Range Rover has fallen 9 per cent since May to £35,224, compared to a decline of 3 per cent for all cars according to Auto Trader.
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