'Thieves drilled into my car to steal it'
OtherIt took about 40 minutes for thieves to steal Dave Whiting's Lexus RX from outside his home last August.
As the 79-year-old slept upstairs, two men used a drill and jigsaw to cut into the vehicle, before driving it away.
His experience comes as Home Office data shows the West Midlands had the highest rate of vehicle theft offences in England and Wales in 2025-26.
Whiting, from Solihull, said his first reaction on seeing CCTV of the theft was rage: "They knew what they were doing. They very casually walked down the road, one of them with a drill. Straight onto the drive."
Reviewing CCTV footage, he said the pair appeared calm throughout the theft. There was a little conversation, but no panic and one of them tried to cover the camera with mud.
Whiting said one of the men drilled through the boot before using a jigsaw to cut a hole and access the vehicle's electrical systems.
After disappearing for about 20 minutes, they returned.
"One guy got in and drove off. The other guy walked off," he said. "It was as simple as that."
The theft only came to light the following morning when a tradesman thanked him for moving the vehicle.
"I said, 'No, I haven't'."
The vehicle was later detected by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in Yardley Wood but has never been recovered.
West Midlands Police said it did not underestimate the impact vehicle crime had on people, and while the number of offences was falling the force remained committed to bringing the number down.
The force added it was working closely with drivers, manufacturers and national agencies to stop vehicles being stolen.
The Home Office figures are equivalent to 4.4 offences per 1,000 people in the West Midlands Force area, with 2.2% resulting in a charge or summons.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire Police had one of the lowest charge rates for such offences, at 0.7%.
It also had one of the biggest increases in thefts in 2025-2026, bucking the trend across England & Wales, which peaked in 2022-23.
David Adams, who lives near Loxley, Warwickshire, had his vehicle stolen in August 2024 and said the latest figures were worrying.
"What the hell is going on?" he said.
"It wouldn't surprise me in the least if there was another lot operating like this. It is alarming if car thefts are taking off again."
Adams praised the response he received from Warwickshire Police after his theft, but added: "It is a bit disappointing that we are in a high-risk area. I feel worried now."
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