Cold weather has triggered a series of car thefts caused by car owners warming up their vehicles by leaving their engines running outside their homes.

Cold weather has triggered a series of car thefts caused by car owners warming up their vehicles by leaving their engines running outside their homes.

Police in East Dunbartonshire are urging residents to keep their car keys safe after car thefts from the Kirkintilloch, Milngavie, Bishopbriggs and Bearsden areas.

Sergeant Matt Gemmell, from Kirkintilloch Police Office, said that over a six-day period recently, more than £100,000 worth of cars were stolen. The owners are not covered by their insurance because the cars were left with the keys still in them.

Officers are trying to discourage owners from leaving their car engines running, especially during frosty mornings.

"This is becoming a real problem in our area with very expensive cars now being stolen on a regular basis during frosty mornings," said Mr Gemmell.

"Most of these people are trying to make their mornings a little easier by saving a bit of time defrosting their car while they finish getting ready for work. However, they are being caught out and before they know it their car is gone causing them additional stress and a great deal of inconvenience."

Yesterday, police patrolling the streets in East Dunbartonshire spotted 50 cars with the engine running.

Meanwhile, in Berkshire, a mother is fighting for her life in hospital following a carjacking in which she was dragged up to 60ft underneath the vehicle.

Caroline Johnson was scraping ice off her windscreen before taking her son to school on Tuesday morning when a man jumped into her car and drove off, leaving her lying in the road in Langley.

Detective Inspector Steve Armstead said it was likely Mrs Johnson, 46, had been dragged behind the car when it ran her over.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: "We think she was dragged along the road a considerable distance, it is believed she was dragged 10 to 20 metres and passed under the vehicle."

Mrs Johnson's young son did not witness the incident in which his mother suffered serious internal injuries and injuries to her arms and legs.

Mrs Johnson, who works as a receptionist at a local veterinary surgery, is now in a critical but stable condition in Wexham Park Hospital.

Yesterday her husband spoke of his devastation.

Mark Collins said: "This whole incident has left us devastated and will continue to do so for months to come.

"What happened yesterday was completely unnecessary, and I urge anyone who can help the police catch whoever did this to my wife to come forward."

Police said Mrs Johnson was seen lying in the road by her house by a man who was driving his children to school.

The man, who had noticed a car being driven erratically along the road behind him, stopped his car to call for help.

He stayed with Mrs Johnson until the ambulance arrived.

Detectives are currently pursuing several lines of inquiry, though they believe the thief may be a "local opportunist" because he escaped from the scene on back roads.

Mrs Johnson's car, a champagne-coloured Citroen Picasso, was found last night, abandoned but in a good condition, about two-and-a-half miles from her home, Thames Valley Police said.

It is now being examined for forensic evidence.

Detectives said they were looking for a white man, believed to be in his 30s.

PC Clive Benson said: "Over 14 years of road traffic collisions, I have never seen anyone with as many injuries as this woman has sustained."