JACK Frost thieves are preying on unsuspecting motorists as they try to keep warm after de-icing their cars.

Motoring organisation the RAC is warning drivers in the Bolton area not to leave their cars with engines running after a spate of thefts of luxury cars.

The sneaky thieves wait while the drivers scrape ice off their windscreens and then nip back into their homes for a cup of tea while the glass clears.

The engine is running so all the thief has to do is to jump into the unlocked car and drive off.

Dozens of cars, mainly luxury saloons such as Jaguars and Mercedes, have been stolen by "frosting" over the last few weeks in the West Midlands.

Even car keys kept inside a locked house are not safe from brazen thieves. The RAC and police say many people keep keys on a table or hook just inside their front door.

But in London there have been cases of thieves pushing long metal hooks through letterboxes to steal the keys to top-of the range cars.

Christmas shoppers are another target for opportunist thieves who tour shopping centres looking for presents left inside parked cars.

The RAC say some shoppers return to their cars with bulky items before going off to do more shopping and computer, video, hi-fi and electrical goods are particular targets.

"Many motorists are giving the criminals early Christmas presents by not thinking about the security of their car and contents," said RAC head of campaigns Edmund KIng.

"The latest trends seem to be 'frosting' cars on cold mornings when the owner leaves the car to de-ice or 'hooking' the car keys through the letter box.

"The motorist can stop both these trends by being more careful."

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