Police are appealing for witnesses after thieves stole a BMW from a residential street in Kilmarnock and drove it out of Ayrshire using false number plates, amid a rise in vehicle thefts across Scotland.
The blue BMW i5 was stolen from Jean Armour Drive in the Moorfield area of Kilmarnock in the early hours of Wednesday 7 October.
Police say the vehicle was initially tracked to the nearby Mount House Estate before apparently leaving Ayrshire via Mauchline and Muirkirk, using false registration plates.
Detectives are investigating reports of two people behaving suspiciously around Moorfield and Dundonald Road during the early hours of Wednesday morning. They are urging residents to check CCTV cameras and video doorbells for footage recorded between 2 am and 5 am, and to share information about suspicious activity in the area over the past week.
We understand that two people were seen acting suspiciously in the Moorfield and Dundonald Road areas in the early hours of the morning. “We ask the community to check any CCTV or video doorbell footage between 2am and 5am on Wednesday, 7 October. We would also be keen to hear from any residents who noticed any suspicious activity in the area over the previous week.”
Detective Constable Alan Roy
Vehicle thefts rising across Scotland.
The appeal comes as newly published Scottish Government statistics show that vehicle theft is increasing.
Figures for the year ending June 2026 show police recorded 5,123 motor vehicle thefts across Scotland, up 9% from 4,699 in the previous 12 months. However, while thefts of cars are rising, thefts from motor vehicles have decreased by 8% compared to the last year from 1,708 to 1,572. A decreased of 25% from the year ending June 2022.
Police have also warned motorists about relay theft, a sophisticated technique in which criminals use electronic equipment to capture and relay signals from contactless car keys, allowing vehicles to be unlocked and started without the original key being physically present.
Police Scotland advises motorists to keep contactless keys away from doors and windows and try using a signal-blocking Faraday pouch or RFID blocker. Additional security measures, such as steering-wheel locks and vehicle trackers, can also help protect vehicles.
Anyone with information about the Kilmarnock theft, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 0656 of 7 October. You can also pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Further car security advice is available from Police Scotland.