LATEST data from stolen vehicle recovery company Tracker has revealed that Land Rover models are the most popular targets for car thieves.

Range Rover and Land Rover vehicles took six of the top 10 places in a 2020 league table of the models most frequently stolen.

Combined they accounted for 37 per cent of stolen vehicles recovered by Tracker in 2020.

Range Rovers dominated the list taking the three top spots with the Range Rover Sport at number one, the Range Rover Vogue second and Autobiography models in third place.

The Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Evoqueand Land Rover Defender also made the top ten coming ranked at fifth, seventh and tenth respectively.

Other models were the BMW X5 in fourth place, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sixth with the AMG variant eighth and the BMW M3 and Mercedes S-Class in ninth.

Also tying for in tenth place were the Mercedes E-Class and BMW X6.

Analysis of how criminals stole cars in 2020 reveals that keyless theft has risen to an all-time high, with 93 per cent of all recovered vehicles having been stolen without the thief having possession of the keys.

This has nudged up from 92 per cent in 2019 but represents a 26 per cent increase in the past five years.

According to Tracker, thieves use sophisticated equipment to exploit keyless technology by hijacking the car key's signal, typically from the security of the owner's home, and remotely fooling the system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine. This is commonly known as a "relay attack".

Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker, said: "Range Rover and other Land Rover models have always featured in our top ten most stolen and recovered league table in the last 10 years, as has the BMW X5 which has slipped from second to fourthposition in 2020.

"However, most premium 4x4 cars are hot targets, with car thieves stealing to order, often shipping them abroad or stripping them for parts in a chop shop to meet the growing demand for spare parts."

Mr Wain continued: Keyless car theft has risen dramatically in recent years. It is quick and easy for professional criminals who have the tools and experience. Cars are commonly taken from outside of the owners' house, often discreetly and within minutes, meaning the theft often goes unnoticed for some time.

"We encourage drivers to use traditional visual deterrents such as crook locks and wheel clamps to deter criminals and protect their car, however in the event of a theft, stolen vehicle tracking technology will significantly help police quickly close the net on thieves and return the vehicle to its rightful owner."