Former England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has had two cars worth a combined £160,000 stolen from his house.
The incident happened early on Saturday morning when the 30-year-old woke up at his home in Staffordshire to discover that he had been burgled.
Thieves stole a high-spec Range Rover along with an Audi RS6 after snapping locks on a uPVC window to gain entry to the home, where they found keys to both vehicles.
Staffordshire police Sergeant Richard Morris said: "Thieves have devised methods of snapping these types of cylinders locks in a matter of seconds while still being able to operate the lock to open the door.
"They're then able to look for the keys to the cars they've seen outside and drive them away.
"This threat can be reduced simply by upgrading the cylinder to one that is specifically designed to prevent this method of attack."
Bent, who is on the books at Aston Villa, is currently on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Shane Callaghan
