Over the last few years, there has been a massive surge in car thefts across London, which has forced owners of expensive vehicles to resort to extreme measures. Recently, a photo of a Land Rover Defender chained to a tree went viral on the internet. The sorry picture goes on to highlight the desperation of owners to protect their cars from getting stolen. You can see a heavy-duty chain wrapped around the tree and looped around the SUV’s bumper, which is secured with a large padlock, making it difficult and time-consuming for thieves to steal the vehicle. However, this is not a one-off thing. In fact, cars chained to large trees have become a common sight in and around London.
The unabetted rise in car burglary has also put a dent in the image of many carmakers, especially Jaguar Land Rover. The British auto giant has been battling a reputation crisis lately. According to surveys, three of the top five stolen cars in the UK are Range Rovers, making buyers question the security systems of these luxury SUVs. As a result, some high-end vehicles manufactured by the Jaguar Land Rover group have witnessed sharp price drops. Insurance companies have also dramatically increased premiums on such vehicles and are even refusing cover. Last month, JLR announced that it would invest £1 million ($1.26 million) to help the police deal with the menace and restore its reputation.
Things are so bad in London that desperate millionaires are now chaining their $100,000 SUVs to trees to protect them from car thieves.
