WORCESTERSHIRE drivers with satellite navigation systems in their cars had better watch out - thefts of the popular gadgets are soaring, a survey has found.

A typical break-in costs drivers an average of £646 - up 13 per cent on the figure a year ago, the Autoglass company has discovered.

January has become the new hotspot month for thieves, with side-window replacements rising 17 per cent in the first three months of 2006, the company added.

More than 260,000 sat-nav systems were stolen in 2005, said Autoglass, which added that only 37 per cent of those questioned for the survey had claimed on their insurance after a theft from a vehicle.

The survey also revealed:

* One in seven people has recently been a victim of car crime.

* Forty-one per cent said that gadgets including satnavs, laptops, stereos, mp3 players and mobile phones had been taken - double the number last year.

* One third of sat-nav owners admit to leaving the cradle on display, and 10 per cent leave the whole system out when they park.

Nigel Doggett, managing director of Autoglass, said: "While break-ins are nothing new, the high-priced gadgets available today are proving too much of a temptation for thieves. The only way to prevent a break-in is to remove all trace of the equipment from the vehicle - and that includes the sucker marks from your satnav."