Officers have issued crime prevention advice following a spate of attempted car thefts in Stevenage.

Offenders have mainly been targeting keyless or vicinity key cars which are of quite high value.

This works using devices to divert a signal from the car keys inside the home to the car parked outside. This is done to both unlock the vehicle and start the engine.

A number of the vehicles targeted recently have also been targeted in the past.

A Neighbourhood Watch spokeswoman said: "We believe that it is the same group of organised criminals thatare responsible. This means that if you have been a victim of this type of crime in the past, you may be targeted again.

If you have a keyless vehicle, always keep your keys in a signal blocking pouch (or Faraday Pouch) when you are not using them. These can be purchased from a number of major retailers.

Always make sure your vehicle is locked and the windows are shut when not in use and park your car in a well-lit area covered by CCTV if possible.

Try to store keys as far away from the front of the house as possible when at home.

Always remove your keys from the car when it's not in use, even if you are just stopping to buy fuel.

Be vigilant and report any suspicious activities in your areas via 101.

For more detailed crime prevention information, visit www.herts.police.uk/crimeprevention.