Car thieves are more likely to steal a BMW X5 than any other car, closely followed by the Range Rover, BMW M3 and Audi RS4.

Research from Tracker shows these four are the most commonly stolen and recovered premium vehicles, with the Audi TT coming in fifth. Stephen Doran, managing director of Tracker, said: "These figures show that all car owners are a target for thieves. And with 84 per cent of all the cars we recovered last year being stolen using the keys, we remind every car owner to keep their keys safe at all times."

Most cars are now stolen by thieves taking the keys rather than trying to break into the car. Doran points out the Volkswagen Golf is now listed in the top 10 of most stolen cars in the UK, demonstrating that thieves will target any car they think will net them a quick profit.

The top 10 most stolen and recovered cars in the UK in according to Tracker's research are:

BMW X5
Range Rover
BMW M3
Audi RS4
Audi TT
Mercedes-Benz SL
Mercedes-Benz CLK
Porsche 911
Volkswagen Golf
Mercedes-Benz ML