'A lot of anger': Car thefts happening on a daily basis around Townsville

A Townsville man said he is still angry after young criminals armed with knives allegedly took keys from his house and stole his car from his driveway.

Dean Smith's neighbour caught the group in the act and called him to come outside.

He told Today he chased one of the offenders down his driveway, but he jumped in a waiting getaway car while another took off with his work ute.

READ MORE: Matt Canavan busts head open during touch footy game

"I've just run outside with my full cranky pants on, trying to detain one but luckily he didn't want to fight," Dean said.

"I have a lot of anger about it right now, the problem's just getting worse and worse."

But Dean said while the whole ordeal was terrifying, it was his neighbour who he felt for.

"He's pulled up and was in the middle of it, trying to chase him off and one's threatened his family with the knife," he said.

"It's more confronting for them because they had their kids involved and then I chased the car all the way down the street, but lucky he was faster than me, otherwise it could have been a different story."

READ MORE: Fans given first look at new Bad Boys film

Dean said the stolen car was his $60,000 work vehicle and it has since been recovered - badly damaged after the theft.

But while it has been found, it's the aftereffects that have left him fuming.

"Obviously we can't use it for the next however many months until it gets fixed, but they've stolen some personal items out of my wife's car and out of the house and it's just very disrupting," he said.

"There's a garage remote for the house too, so now you don't feel safe because we've got to get all that sort of stuff fixed up - cars are getting stolen around Townsville every single day and it's actually very confronting."

See the full chat with Dean in the video above