The number of people locking themselves out of their cars has increased by nearly 50 per cent compared to five years ago.

Keycare, a key recovery and assistance specialist, says that the rise in popularity of automatic locking systems has made it much easier for motorists to lock themselves out by accident. 

In 2015, Keycare handled 2,396 enquiries from people who had locked themselves out of their cars. This compares to a figure of 1,629 in 2010 – an increase of 47 per cent.  

David Robertson, chief executive of Keycare, said: “Locking yourself out of your car is much more common than a few years ago and can cause a huge amount of inconvenience and expense.

“Most motorists who call us have locked their car remotely and then accidentally left their keys in the boot or on the seat, before shutting the door.

“If you don’t have a spare, you need to remember that these vehicles now require new keys to be re-programmed to the car’s unique code, which only a specialised locksmith can do for you.  A replacement lock set can cost anything from a few hundred pounds up to in excess of £1,000 depending on the make and model.”