Giles Coren's fury as police 'close case' on stolen car after 47 mins

Giles Coren fumes as Met Police ‘close case’ on his stolen £65,000 eco-Jag after 47 minutes… forcing him to get on his ‘b*****d’ bike to find it using car’s tracking system for SECOND time

• Food critic’s Jaguar I-Pace was pinched outside his north London home in April 
• The writer posted a Twitter thread detailing his route to the vehicle in Highgate
• Just three months later, however, his beloved car has once again been stolen  

Giles Coren last night set off on another personal hunting mission after his £65,000 eco-Jaguar was stolen for the second time in just three months.

The TV presenter, 51, first turned detective back in April after his beloved car was stolen but police told him they didn’t have the ‘manpower to investigate’.

In an incredible thread, he posted pictures of his journey in tracking down the Jaguar I-Pace, which he eventually found in Highgate, north London, telling followers he ‘got his electric kitty cat back’.

However, just weeks later, he has suffered the same fate, despite following instructions from the manufacturer and paying out £3,000 for a new tracking system.

His frustration was then compounded when he received an email from police – just 47 minutes after he was given a crime reference number and told the theft would be investigated – that the case had been closed.

Mr Coren then claimed to have ‘tricked’ an officer into revealing the location of the car after it was still pinging a signal somewhere in Camden.

Despite apparently being warned not to go hunting for the car for his own safety, the food critic decided to jump on his bike last night in a desperate attempt to track it down. 

He told followers in a video: ‘Heading off now, down into Camden to the housing estate where the car was last pinged. It’s probably been stashed in the car park there. 

‘I’m travelling on my bicycle with the added incentive of course that if I don’t find my f***ing car, I’m going to be travelling around on this b*****d for the rest of my life.’   

The food critic told MailOnline he was trying to arrange a hire car so he and his family can get around after his vehicle (pictured) was stolen

Despite apparently being warned not to go hunting for the car for his own safety, the food critic decided to jump on his bike last night in a desperate attempt to track it down

His frustration was compounded when he received an email from police – just 47 minutes after he was given a crime reference number and told the theft would be investigated – that the case had been closed

Keyless car thefts and how to prevent them 

Keyless theft, also known as ‘relay theft’ occurs when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the key is close by.

This unlocks the car and allows the ignition to be started. 

Police warn that every make and model of car which can start ‘keylessly’ is susceptible to a relay attack.

While this might put drivers on edge, there are easy steps you can take to stop you becoming the next victim of a relay theft.

Certain metals are capable of blocking key signals, which means if you store your fob with one of these metals around it, criminals won’t be able to pick them up and steal your vehicle.

The most simple and most ingenious is a metal can. 

The aluminum in a drinks can will stop radio signals being transmitted from your key and stop burglars in their tracks.

Some experts have suggested keeping your keys in the fridge, as the material on the inside will block signals too.

If you’re looking for a low-cost option, some people wrap their fobs in tin foil – although this isn’t endorsed by security firms.

Keeping your keys in a small metal box however can work efficiently. 

Special faraday pouches — cheap wallets which shield the key’s radio signal from being transmitted — are also useful for storing your keys when you’re away from home – in motorway service stations and public car parks.

Experts also encourage drivers to keep them at least 5m away from their front door, to give thieves the worst chance of being able to relay a signal.

But some security specialists advise against hiding your car keys too obscurely in your house — because if serious criminals truly want to steal your car, they will break in and do anything to find the keys.

Physical barriers such as steering wheel locks and even wheel clamps are all suggested as additional safety measures. 

The food critic told MailOnline today didn’t have any joy when he got to the housing estate and that he was trying to arrange a hire car so he and his family can get around. 

‘It was nicked from outside my house again,’ he said. 

‘This time I had the keys in lead boxes and everything as I was supposed to make it impossible to steal the signal.

‘Then I woke up this morning and saw the tracking company had texted to say it had been nicked. 

‘Apparently police followed the signal to a location given them by the tracker but there was no car. So case closed.

‘There’s so little point in these trackers. Last time it was nicked they just tore it out and when I found it I had to pay £3K for a new one – and new keys – because you can’t have the car without the built in tracker.

‘But it literally does nothing to inconvenience the thieves or make the car easier to retrieve.

‘It’s a massive pain in the a***.’  

Mr Coren furiously shared emails, seemingly from the Met, with followers last night, claiming that the case had been closed, just 47 minutes after he received a crime reference number and a pledge to investigate the theft. 

The message read: ‘An investigator from the Metropolitan Police has looked carefully at your case and we are sorry to say that, with the evidence and leads available, it is unlikely that it will be possible to identify those responsible. We have therefore closed this case.’ 

A Met Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called at approximately 07:47hrs to reports of the theft of a motor vehicle on Lady Somerset Road, NW5.

‘Police were given a location from the Tracking Company and officers were deployed to search the area. Unfortunately, at that time there was no trace of the vehicle.

‘Investigating officers confirmed with the victim that there is no CCTV at the venue where the vehicle was stolen from and no witnesses. Enquiries with the local authority also confirm the lack of CCTV in the area.

‘Following the enquiries made by officers, the initial decision was made to close the case until further investigative opportunities become available.

‘A report has been placed on the Police National Computer so the vehicle registration will be picked up on automatic number plate recognition cameras on the streets and in police vehicles.

‘Officers are always expected to pursue every viable line of enquiry when handling a crime report. 

‘This will often include taking witness statements, and making CCTV and community enquiries and identifying forensic opportunities where appropriate. 

‘However, in some cases there may not be the evidence available to identify or prosecute a suspect.

‘There have been no arrests. If further lines of enquiry come to light the report will be reopened.

‘We must prioritise our resources to be able to cope with the demand so our officers are available to respond to incidents and continue to keep the public safe.’

Jaguar Land Rover has also been approached for comment on its tracking system. 

It comes just three months after Mr Coren documented his hunt for the car, which had its tracker disabled within three minutes of it being stolen on an evening in April.  

While setting out to locate it, the journalist posted: ‘I suppose I’m rather hoping the crims [criminals] themselves are not still in the vehicle…?’ 

The battery-electric crossover SUV had been left on the street for two days with ‘no suspects present’ and all officers on duty in the area at the time were ‘assigned to ongoing incidents so unable to attend’, said the Met Police.

The food critic began: ‘Last night the c***s stole my new Jaguar I-Pace. So F*** them, f*** the environment and f*** any sort of giving a shit about cars. 

‘I’m buying a six year old diesel f***ing Skoda and everyone can just f*** off.’

He then shared a screenshot of his Jaguar tracker app which had notified him of a theft alert, captioning: ‘This is the really useful Jaguar tracker app that tells you where your car is in all circumstances EXCEPT WHEN IT HAS BEEN STOLEN.’

Giles Coren (pictured above) has had his beloved Jaguar I-Pace stolen for the second time in three months

Mr Coren had followed instructions from the manufacturer and paid out £3,000 for a new tracking system for his car (pictured being towed)

Mr Coren with his vehicle after tracking it down in April. Upon its discovery, he said the thieves had ‘slung the seat back’ into the ‘gangster position’, adding: ‘I guess [they] just had a hell of a ride’

The TV presenter tweeted that he ‘got his electric kitty cat back’ after the Met Police texted him its location but didn’t have the ‘manpower to investigate’

However, in a turn of events, he later wrote: ‘Well now this is exciting. Had an SMS from the Met saying that my car has been spotted and giving me the address where it was last seen. 

‘They don’t have the manpower to investigate themselves so I’m heading off alone on foot to see if my car is there…’

Mr Coren then shared images while walking under a bridge and along a street before finally locating the vehicle.

Upon its discovery, he said the thieves had ‘slung the seat back’ into the ‘gangster position’, adding: ‘I guess [they] just had a hell of a ride’. 

A spokesperson for the Met Police told MailOnline regarding the initial theft: ‘We are aware of a series of posts on social media relating to a vehicle stolen on Friday, 9 April that has now been recovered. 

‘At around 14:00 on Sunday, 11 April, police received a call from a member of the public reporting a suspected abandoned vehicle on a street in Highgate, N6. 

‘Records showed the vehicle had been reported stolen. 

Three of Mr Coren’s tweets, pictured above. All officers on duty in the area at the time were ‘assigned to ongoing incidents so unable to attend’, said the Met Police

‘The vehicle had been at the location for two days and there were no suspects present. 

‘All officers on duty in the area at the time were assigned to ongoing incidents so were unable to attend. 

‘The registered keeper was contacted and informed that his vehicle had been located. 

‘He told police that he would make his way to the location and was encouraged to call back if, on arriving, he was concerned for his safety or became aware of anything suspicious.

‘He attended the location without incident later the same afternoon and retook possession of his vehicle.’

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