MP applauds efforts to tackle hi-tech vehicle theft

BANBURY, U.K. - Sept. 22, 2016 - PRLog -- The pioneering work of a UK automotive security firm, which has innovated a device to stop vehicles being stolen without the keys, has won praise from Victoria Prentis MP, Member of Parliament for North Oxfordshire.

In response to the growing nationwide problem of keyless theft of cars and vans, On Board Defence, based in Haslemere Drive, developed the signal-blocking PORTECTOR, which is the first solution to gain certification from the motor insurers' centre, Thatcham Research.

Mrs Prentis was invited by the company to learn more about the issue of vehicle hacking, known as electronic compromise. This summer, she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Ministers at the Department of Transport. During her visit to the Banbury business this month, the MP congratulated the team at On Board Defence for winning a major international accolade for its anti-theft device. It has just triumphed at the prestigious Innovation Awards in Frankfurt, organised by Automechanika, Europe's largest trade show.

Over a year in development and having been subjected to months of rigorous testing by Thatcham Research, the tamper-proof PORTECTOR, which doesn't require any hard-wiring, stops data communication from a vehicle's On Board Diagnostic (OBD) port, so that thieves are unable to bypass the immobiliser.

Paul Chase, Managing Director, On Board Defence, said that the company's latest innovation, which is professionally installed, brings peace of mind to vehicle owners:

"Even the newest cars and vans are vulnerable to electronic compromise and many can be stolen in under 60 seconds. Thieves can acquire hand-held signal-jamming and bypass tools online and we believe that millions of vehicles are at risk. PORTECTOR is a proven method of combatting this increasing form of crime and we are delighted to receive this international recognition, which will help us in our ongoing discussions with insurers."

Speaking at On Board Defence, where she saw a demonstration of the award-winning device, Victoria Prentis MP said:

""As methods have become more sophisticated, the fight against vehicle crime has become increasingly important. I was really impressed when I visited On Board Defence. It was very clear that they are doing some pioneering work at their base in Banbury. They really are leading the way in helping private motorists and fleet owners protect their own vehicles."

According to the Office for National Statistics, national theft of a motor vehicle increased by 1% from 75,308 year ending March 2014 to 75,809 year ending March 2015, reversing the trend for declining vehicle theft over the past two decades. Police attribute theft by electronic compromise to organised criminal gangs, which steal cars to order for the international black market, as well as breaking them up for sale as parts.

http://www.obdportector.com

Notes to Editors:

Further information regarding the Automechanika Innovation Awards can be found here:

http://m.messefrankfurt.com/www/frankfurt/en/media/mobili...

Latest Government statistics regarding national vehicle theft:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reducing-criminal-opportunity-vehicle-security-and-vehicle-crime