The warning comes from TRACKER, which says that criminals are targeting long-term car parks, knowing that it could be hours before a driver misses their stolen car. Thieves then use the sat nav or GPS system to find the destination marked “home” and burgle the house, often taking a second vehicle, using the keys found in the home. 

Stuart Chapman, TRACKER police relationship manager, said: ‘UK police do regular examinations of sat nav systems to gather evidence on criminals, but now thieves are using the same methods to help them with their criminal activities. Car owners need to be aware of this growing threat and take steps to reduce the risks. We urge people to use a postcode some distance from home, rather than their actual address and mark it as a “destination”.’

He added: ‘We advise car owners to keep all navigation systems, computers and Smartphones out of sight, when leaving their vehicle, including anything containing personal information, such as letters. Never leave keys in the car and don’t hide a spare key in the vehicle, making it easy for thieves. People should invest in good security for their vehicle, including a tracker unit, as this could help police stop thieves in their tracks.