LONDON, ONT. -- London police are warning motorists to not leave their vehicles running, even for short periods.

New numbers show thieves have been seizing the opportunity to take them for a ride.

Since the start of November, police report 27 vehicles were stolen just moments after motorists left them for short periods.

The incident serves as a reminder that even in winter months, it is best not to leave your car running unless you have a remote starter or a key fob you can take with you.

Meanwhile, London police Const. Sandasha Bough says some of the 27 thefts include a delivery truck full of packages taken just five days ago.

"One of the vehicles that was stolen on Jan. 3 had 125 packages inside of it at the time of the theft. That vehicle was left running at the time, and fortunately, officers found it in 45 minutes and all of those packages were still inside. But that’s not always the case."