Motorists who leave their satellite navigation systems in their cars may be in for a blue Christmas this year as thieves could use the machines to find a victim's home and clean them out completely.

Thousands of motorists across the country already have a Sat-Nav system or are expected to get one this Christmas.

However, as the number of Sat-Nav thefts across the country increases crime prevention experts have warned that leaving homebound directions programmed into such devices can have dire consequences as crooks use them to steal more than the contents of the car.

Instead of just taking the Sat Navs, thieves take the whole car and use the system to find their way to a victim's empty home where they know there could be even richer pickings at this time of year.

"If your car is broken into, particularly if you have an in-built Sat-Nav as part of the dashboard, all the offenders have to do is search for 'home' or something similar and it will take them right to the door of your empty residence." said Roger Powell of mycarcheck.com.

"If you save a setting, only ever put your town in to get you back to familiar territory." he said.

Drivers are being urged to remove Sat-Navs from their vehicles completely instead of hiding them in the glove department, or under the seat.

Leaving the high-tech device lying around is akin to leaving £200 on your dashboard, so it's little wonder thefts are soaring all over the country.

Sat-Nav theft is on the rise but there's still plenty of competition for the attention of the sticky fingered according to research carried out by mycarcheck.com.

Three sewing machines, leather shorts and even £10,000 in cash are just some of the bizarre items people have claimed as stolen from their cars according to insurance claims made in the last few months.

Items including CDs, sunglasses, mobile phones, handbags, coats, golf clubs, MP3 players, sports kits, and jewellery figure alongside cowboy boots, fluffy dice, an entire teams football kits, a library card, a packet of sandwiches and £10,000 in cash.

"The winter months are the most common time of year for theft claims," added Mr Powell.

"Unfortunately many victims of car crime are left disappointed when they try to claim for their stolen items.

"Most insurers only provide cover up to £100 for personal effects on items other than car stereos.

"Despite this many motorists frequently leave much more valuable goods in their cars." he said.

Crime prevention experts have warned that having a Sat-Nav stolen is often the beginning of the nightmare for victims, especially at this time of the year when thieves know empty homes are often full of Christmas presents.

"There are sensible measures you can take to avoid falling foul of this kind of crime.

"For example when entering a car park try and avoid parking next to a dark corner," said Simon Leila, Director of 360 Defence security consultants.

"If you have valuables in the car always hide them. Carefully consider the location when going in to a pay and display car park, remember you're advertising the length of time you'll be away.

"And lastly don't nip out for a moment and leave your car absentmindedly unlocked, you'd be surprised