Gone in 20 seconds: how ‘smart keys’ have fuelled a new wave of car crime

One London resident watched on CCTV as a thief walked up to his 40,000 car and drove away. Now manufacturers say they are being drawn in to a hi-tech arms race' with criminals

Read more: car industry was warned keyless vehicles vulnerable to theft a decade ago

When Steve Jessop's electric Hyundai car was stolen outside his west London house on a rainy day earlier this month, he appealed to neighbours for potential footage of the crime.

He quickly secured a CCTV video and was stunned at the ease with which his car had been taken. A hooded figure approached it, opened the doors without forced entry, started the engine and drove off.