Self driving vehicles were disabled by a gang of teenagers who stole the engine in a nearby street. The thieves approached an Audi car in Wood Green, north London, at 12.45pm. They broke through a panel of the car and took the engine, which is used to power the steering and brakes. The engine was returned to the owner later the same day. The teenager was arrested for handling stolen goods, the Met Police said. The stolen engine was recovered from a nearby street (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In a statement, the Met said: ‘There was a call to police at 12.45pm on Saturday to report that thieves had broken into a motor vehicle in London Road, Wood Green, and stolen the engine of the car. ‘Two males were in the car at the time of the theft and were not injured. The engine was recovered in a nearby street around 6pm that day. ‘No one has yet been arrested in connection with the incident and enquiries into the theft and its recovery are ongoing.’ Police are investigating the theft of an engine (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) This is the latest vehicle theft to hit the UK (Picture: Getty Images) Last year, the Government brought in £15 million of new funding for increased vehicle tracking, better insurance cover, improved surveillance systems, and new powers to tackle vehicle crime. There has also been a £1.4 million increase in funding for the existing Vehicle Anti- Crime Action Team (Vact) policing programme. Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock said: ‘Vehicle crime undermines public confidence in the police, the courts and the rule of law. The thieves stole the engine from this Audi (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) Police are investigating the theft of an engine (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. He has been bailed to appear before Highbury Corner Youth Court on Monday 5 March. ’ ‘The investigation is ongoing and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident.’ The number of vehicles stolen in the UK soared last year to a 20-year high. The number of vehicles stolen in the UK soared to a 20-year high last year (Picture: Getty Images) Officers are hoping to catch the culprits in the theft of the engine (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) A study by insurer NFU Mutual revealed that nearly half of all thieves are under the age of 21 and just 1.5% of them are older than 40. It is thought that young people are ‘stealing’ cars to fund a lifestyles fuelled by the purchase of drugs or to buy alcohol. Police have previously said that more than half of car thefts are gang-related and are committed to order. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some of those responsible are even targeting motorists travelling down the M1. In another case, a BMW 320d was stolen from Saddleworth in Greater Manchester, with thieves stealing the keys from the vehicle’s ignition. According to police, the car was then driven up a mile and a half down a rough road before being dumped. Got a story for Metro.co.uk? If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.