Seattle 'thief' caught by remote car door lock

An alleged car thief was arrested after he was remotely locked inside a stolen vehicle.

Seattle Police Department has revealed a suspect was captured after the BMW was traced and the car maker locked its doors remotely.

The man was found asleep in the BMW 5 Series, parked in an alley with the engine running.

The car was taken after a key fob was mistakenly left inside it.

Technology installed in the car meant the 38-year-old man could be detained as police approached.

The suspect attempted to drive away when officers from the Seattle Police Department woke him up, but he was unsuccessful.

According to the police department's report of the incident the car's owner got married the day before the theft.

A friend had borrowed the car and accidently left the key fob inside.

Owners of newer models of BMW's can use the ConnectedDrive app for a variety of functions, including unlocking their vehicle remotely.

The app is also designed to track the cars in case of an emergency. It knows how many occupants are in the car and can contact emergency services if it is involved in a crash, providing an exact GPS location.

A spokesman for the company confirmed people inside BMW cars can always open the doors from inside, whether or not it is locked remotely.

The story was reported by the police department last week, but it rose to prominence after it was picked up by technology website Cnet.