Residents of a small village say they are in a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ where cars keep locking and unlocking themselves – trapping people in and out of their vehicles.
Locals in Summercourt in Cornwall – population 300 – claim a small area of the community is effected by the bizarre incidents.
They say around 30 cars in the same few streets lock and unlock themselves – with reports of at least one child being locked in.
Motorists in the village say the locking systems on dozens of cars have been “possessed” – and have dubbed it the “Summercourt Triangle”.
Resident Lin Howard said drivers have changed key fob batteries but the problem, which started six months ago, won’t go away.
Ms Howard, who is the school secretary, said a car had automatically locked itself with a young child inside which was “very distressing” for the mother.
She said: “Another driver has not been able to start their car. They have to go home, get back to school, get someone to look at the car, then after a period of time it starts again.”
Resident Wendy Malham said: “I got in the car to drive to school and the locks were going on-off, on-off, like it was possessed.
“I can’t actually lock my car anymore because the alarms go off. Another driver has not been able to start their car.
“They have to go home, get back to school, get someone to look at the car, then after a period of time it starts again.”
Resident Wendy Malham said: “I got in the car to drive to school and the locks were going on-off, on-off, like it was possessed.
“I can’t actually lock my car anymore because the alarms go off.”
Kelvin Malham added: “We went to Andover where we didn’t have a problem, but when we returned it started again.”
Expert Mike Parris said the most likely cause was radio interference adding it could be caused by “almost anything that is wireless”, such as alarm systems, temperature gauges, weather stations or walkie-talkies.
Mr Parris, from car technology consultancy firm SBD, said: “The most probable cause is accidental radio interference, which is not unheard of.
“Residents could try and keep a log of when they have difficulties, the locations which are worse and anything which helps to pinpoint it. These things are notoriously difficult to pin down.”
