Well-resourced crime gangs using sophisticated equipment to hack into high-end cars are believed to have been responsible for a break-in blitz in Hitchin on Sunday night.

Police are linking four BMW break-ins within the space of a few hours in the Walsworth area.

In each case the driver’s side front window was smashed – but nothing was taken.

The crimes were reported in a car park off Woolgrove Road between 9.30pm on Sunday night and 7.45am the following morning, in nearby St Faith’s Close between 8pm and 8am, in Franklin Gardens between 11pm and 7am, and in Millstream Close between 2am and 5.45am.

An AA spokesman told the Comet: “The four cases do seem to indicate these cars were targeted by a professional gang who were looking to gain control of car engines through hacking technology in order to steal them.

“Long gone are the days when high-end cars were hit by opportunists looking to commit joyriding.

“The well-resourced crime groups and gangs out there at the moment are using increasingly sophisticated equipment, and target specific geographical areas, or towns such as Hitchin, causing crimewaves in terms of thefts of high-end high-value cars.

“These gangs do move on – and the AA still advises taking sensible precautions. It seems fortunate, perhaps, that the gang targeting Hitchin didn’t use as sophisticated equipment as some other gangs around the country.”

Greg Rose from Hitchin, whose grey BMW was attacked in Millstream Close, said: “It’s quite concerning as it seems to be a targeted attack on BMWs.

“I spotted the damage as I went to drive my car to work. It was a particularly nasty way to start a Monday.

“There’s been a spate of cloning incidents in which people target the on-board diagnostic port with cloned keys to fool the car into starting.

“The fact this is a specialised attack means it’s even more concerning.”

A police spokesman added: “It is too early to say whether they were carried out by a specialised gang targeting high-end cars.”

If you have any information call 101 quoting crime reference number G1/15/1475,76,77 or 78.