Tom Cruise reportedly had thousands of pounds worth of luggage stolen after thieves took his bodyguard’s £100,000 BMW.
The film star, 59, is currently in the UK filming scenes for Mission: Impossible 7 and was said to be furious when he learned of the theft.
According to The Sun, the thieves used a scanner to clone the signal from the vehicle’s ignition fob while it was parked outside The Grand Hotel in Birmingham.
Theft: Tom Cruise reportedly had thousands of pounds worth of luggage stolen after thieves took his bodyguard’s £100,000 BMW
Filming: The film star, 59, is currently in the UK filming scenes for Mission: Impossible 7 and was said to be furious when he learned of the theft
A source told the publication: ‘Tom had been driven around in the car while in Birmingham and some of his luggage and belongings were inside it when it was taken.
‘It’s since been recovered by police because it was equipped with an electronic tracking device but everything inside it had gone.
‘It’s a huge embarrassment for the security team and the guy who had been driving it was hopping mad — but not as mad as Tom!’
The bodyguard in charge of Tom’s security staff was said to have made the discovery of the stolen car early on Wednesday.
Before the crime: Tom’s car pictured outside the hotel before the theft on August 24
The insiders said the thieves were able to steal the car in only minutes after it was left outside the hotel which is only a two-minute walk from the West Midlands Police headquarters.
Tom was reportedly filming scenes for the upcoming blockbuster in a Birmingham shopping centre alongside his co-star Hayley Atwell.
The bodyguard had been driving Tom around in the vehicle – which can go from 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds – for days around the city.
The BMW is thought to not have been in a secure, barrier-protected car park that is recommended by the hotel.
Tom has been commuting to Birmingham by helicopter from a luxurious mansion in Kent and the car had been on standby to collect him.
MailOnline has contacted representatives of Tom Cruise and the West Midlands Police for comment.
Criminals: The thieves reportedly used a scanner to clone the signal from the vehicle’s ignition fob while it was parked outside The Grand Hotel in Birmingham
Pictured: Photos of Cruise’s bodyguards BMW, which was stolen outside of the actor’s hotel
Photo op: Muhammad Afzal, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cruise (centre) with Mission:Impossible 7 co-star Hayley Atwell
Officers: Cruise (right) posing for a photo with BTP officers at Birmingham New Street station
Modern cars use keyless entry with the crooks capturing signals by getting the car to emit a message to the keyless fob.
This can fool the car into thinking the key is close by and will unlock. Once the thief is inside the vehicle, the process can be repeated to start the engine.
The thieves may also have jammed the driver’s fob by transmitting the same radio frequency used to lock the car which would then give them access to its computer hardware.
The Sun reports that BMW supplied an identical replacement car for Tom within hours of the theft.
It comes after Mission: Impossible 7 filming was reportedly paused again in June due to a positive Covid test with crew members speculating it could be Tom.
Despite there being ‘no proof’ to back up the idle talk, it has been claimed that people are gossiping it could be Tom due to his alleged absence on set.
A source said: ‘It’s since been recovered by police because it was equipped with an electronic tracking device but everything inside it had gone’
The actor was previously said to have been forced to self-isolate for two weeks after 14 people on the UK set of the film tested positive for coronavirus.
The actor was said to have spent a day filming with four female dancers as they shot scenes in a nightclub for the upcoming movie, who later tested positive.
Filming of the new instalment previously took place at Longcross Studios in Chertsey, Surrey, and production was halted and the 60-member team self-isolated amid the positive tests.
Mission: Impossible 7 filming has been hit with several set backs and delays amid the Covid pandemic, with it shooting on location in Italy, the UK and Norway.
In December it was reported that five crew members had quit after Tom launched into two rants.
The actor was said to have given staff a dressing down after he caught them breaking UK Covid rules at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.
Stolen: The bodyguard in charge of Tom’s security staff was said to have made the discovery of the stolen car early on Wednesday (Tom pictured in 2018)
A source claimed after news of the first outburst was made public, there was ‘more anger’ at the already ‘tense’ production.
An insider said: ‘Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw. Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked.
‘But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him.’
They added that it was Tom who feels responsible for the production after putting so much time and money into ensuring precautions are in place so the team can film.
It was previously reported that the Hollywood star scolded workers who flouted social distancing rules while filming at Warner Bros. Studios.
MailOnline contacted Tom’s representatives for further comment at the time.
