Car thieves face up to five years in prison

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 26 Feb 2025

The government is planning new laws that will ban electronic devices used by criminals in a staggering 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales – with penalties for posession including five years in prison.

The tech includes technology such as so-called ‘signal jammers’, which help criminals steal cars via ‘relay theft’. Keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers scramble the signal from remote locking devices and allow criminals to enter.

In London alone, signal jammers are used in 6 in 10 vehicle thefts, estimates the Metropolitan Police Service.

Until now, police have only had the power to prosecute if they could prove a device had been used to commit a specific offence.

Under new laws in the new Crime and Policing Bill, anyone in possession of such devices could receive a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

The burden of proof will be placed on the owner of the device to prove they were using it for a legitimate purpose to avoid being prosecuted.

"These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups," says minister for policing, crime and fire prevention, Dame Diana Johnson.

Vehicle theft is a highly attractive and lucrative area for criminals, says the government.

Organised criminals are adept at using the soon-to-be-outlawed tech to find ways to overcome security measures on vehicles, even latest models, by exploiting vulnerabilities in them.

"With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this," says RAC head of policy Simon Williams.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has welcomed the move. "These devices have no legitimate purpose, apart from assisting in criminal activity, and reducing their availability will support policing and industry in preventing vehicle theft which is damaging to both individuals and businesses," says National Police Chiefs’ Council vehicle crime lead ACC Jenny Sim

Meanwhile, AA president Edmund King says the tougher sentences should make would-be thieves think again before stealing cars.

The new Crime and Policing Bill will be introduced to Parliament this week. 

Ask HJ

How can I prevent my Ford Fiesta from being stolen?

I understand that the Ford Fiesta, especially those with keyless systems are quite prone to theft. Is there any relatively straightforward and not too expensive way of making them less prone to theft?

The Ford Fiesta was the most stolen car in the UK in 2023, although it is important to note that as one of the UK's best-selling cars over the past 10 years it is not surprising it features at the top of this list. Cars equipped with keyless entry where you have to physically press a button on the key to unlock the vehicle are not susceptible to keyless or relay theft, whereas those with keyless start can be stolen in this manner, so it depends on the exact specification of your vehicle. There are some simple things you can do to reduce the chance of theft, such as purchasing a physical security device such as a Disklok, using a Faraday pouch for your keys, considering where you park your car and reviewing your home security. You can read more about theft prevention here - https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/owning-advice/keyless-car-theft/

Answered by David Ross

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