THREE Mercedes owners from Horndean woke up on Thursday to find their vehicles had been stolen by tech-savvy thieves.

Police are investigating a spate of higher-end car thefts and attempted car thefts around the village and Cowplain between Wednesday evening and the following morning.

All the targeted vehicles were keyless with the culprits using a device to scan the car for the key signal.

A Mercedes was stolen from Harrier Close in Horndean at 4.45am on Thursday with further thefts taking place on Lychgate Drive and Wesermarsch Road, Cowplain, sometime overnight.

Two thieves attempted to steal another Mercedes on Stonechat Road at 3.45am but ran away after being seen and challenged by the owner.

A suspicious male was also seen on CCTV looking at a BMW on a Maynard Place drive, but nothing was taken and the male left the area.

Police believe the incidents are connected as they all involve keyless relay theft. They are now appealing for witnesses and have asked surrounding residents in the targeted areas to check their CCTV or doorbell camera footage.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting 44240025054.