Thieves silently steal BMW by programming a blank key that cost just £70

This is the moment callous car thieves managed to steal a £43,000 BMW - by programming a blank key that cost just £70.The crooks broke into and drove off in owner Steve Wood's 155mph vehicle in just three minutes, in the latest incident of a crime wave sweeping the country.

Mr Wood's BMW 1M shortly before it was stolen. He has hit out at the car manufacturer for lax security

Hundreds of vehicles have been stolen using the special blank devices, which are used to access the car's onboard computer system and mimic the remote 'fob' keys used in upmarket cars.

The thieves smash open the car's window and plug the fake key into a port underneath the steering wheel. The key is then programmed to turn on the car's engine before the thieves drive off.

The devices can be made for just £70, and the increasing popularity of remote 'fob' keys - which turn on the car's engine without being put into the ignition port - has led to the new crime trend

In the footage captured by Mr Wood's CCTV cameras in March, the thieves were able to make off with the car in less than three minutes.

Mr Wood, 29, from Sutton Coldfield today hit out at BMW, claiming they refuse to admit they have a problem with the security systems on their keyless cars.'My issue is with BMW. I have correspondence from them, saying there is no fault, and saying there is nothing wrong with their cars,' the air traffic controller said.

'I was absolutely devastated when I woke to find the car missing, all that was left was a small pile of glass.

'I’d dreamed of owning a BMW M car since I was a kid and I had saved enough money to afford what was apparently the best one for a generation.'My heart hit the floor when I saw it gone. I’d assumed modern cars were unstealable,' he said.

'I’d lost my mum a year earlier in March (2011) and this was a present to myself for the hard year I had gone through.

'BMW claim that ‘they comply with EU regulations’ which state where the OBD port must be, but other manufacturers seem to locate it more discreetly.

'I can’t understand why they would design a car that can have a key programmed in less than a minute. Why would anyone want this?'

Police told Steve that this wasn’t a one-off, with gangs targeting BMWs because they were remarkably easy to steal thanks to the location of the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port.

The bulk of thefts have taken place in the Midlands and East London, and police are so worried about the thefts they have removed the OBD ports from their own fleet of BMWs.

BMW is the fourth most popular car brand in the UK, having sold 116,642 models, last year. A spokesman admitted there had been a number of thefts but claimed it is a wider problem affecting the whole industry.

'Desirable cars like BMW and its competitors, have always been targeted,' the spokesman said.

'BMW has been at the forefront of vehicle security for many years and is constantly pushing the boundaries of the latest defence systems. We work closely with the authorities and with other manufacturers to achieve this.'

The problem has also been attributed to an EU ruling which allows independent garages to service vehicles. These dealers can then gain access to the equipment which allows the keys to be reprogrammed.