Locksmithing in the Family
Hannah grew up around locksmithing through her father, giving her early exposure to the trade before AutoKeyChase existed.
About AutoKeyChase · Corby, Northamptonshire
About AutoKeyChase
AutoKeyChase is a family-run automotive locksmith business founded by Hannah and John Middleton in September 2018 and based in Corby, Northamptonshire. Available 24/7, the business provides mobile car key, vehicle entry, programming and diagnostic services across Corby and surrounding areas.
The business combines practical locksmith experience, modern vehicle-key equipment and real public expertise with a straightforward local service. Hannah grew up around locksmithing through her father, and AutoKeyChase has since built a customer reputation, a technical YouTube audience and a public record of automotive work across Northamptonshire.
Family-run since 2018Founded by Hannah & John Middleton
★★★★★ 5.064+ Google Reviews
DBS CheckedProfessional mobile service
Fully InsuredPublic liability & indemnity
Hannah Middleton · AutoKeyChase
Family-run automotive locksmith business based in Corby
How AutoKeyChase began
A Family Business Built Around Locksmithing
AutoKeyChase was launched in September 2018 by Hannah and John Middleton. For Hannah, locksmithing was not an industry discovered through a franchise or a marketing opportunity; it was something she had already been exposed to through her father, who worked as a locksmith. That early familiarity with the trade developed into specialist automotive work as vehicle keys became increasingly electronic and programming-led.
The business later moved from London to Northamptonshire and established its local base in Corby. The name AutoKeyChase is part of the family story too, with the “Chase” name connected to Hannah and John’s son. That family identity still matters to how the business presents itself: customers are dealing with a real local operator rather than an anonymous national lead-routing brand.
Today the work ranges from everyday lockouts, lost keys and spare keys to vehicle-specific programming, immobiliser diagnostics and steering-lock faults. AutoKeyChase also publishes technical content and trains other locksmiths, but local automotive locksmith work in Corby remains the core service focus of the website.
The aim is simple: identify what the vehicle actually needs, explain the route clearly, use the appropriate equipment and carry out the work as professionally as possible at the vehicle.
The AutoKeyChase story
From Family Trade Experience to a Corby Automotive Locksmith
The business has grown through practical work rather than a generic national expansion model.
AutoKeyChase Launches
Hannah and John Middleton established AutoKeyChase as a family-run business focused on automotive keys and locksmith work.
A New Local Base
After moving from London, the business built its Northamptonshire customer base and is now centred on Corby and surrounding areas.
Public Recognition
Northampton Chronicle & Echo profiled the business and reported Hannah as a finalist in the National Locksmith Awards.
The people behind the business
Meet Hannah & John Middleton
AutoKeyChase is deliberately presented around the people doing the work, not a faceless trading name.
Hannah Middleton
Co-founder · Automotive LocksmithHannah is the public technical face of AutoKeyChase and carries the family locksmithing background into modern automotive work. Her experience spans everyday key replacement and lockout jobs through to more technical programming, immobiliser and steering-lock work. She also shares practical knowledge publicly through AutoKeyChase’s YouTube content and training.
- Hands-on automotive key and locksmith work
- Vehicle-specific programming and diagnostic equipment
- Public technical content and locksmith training
- Reported finalist in the National Locksmith Awards
John Middleton
Co-founder · Family BusinessJohn co-founded AutoKeyChase with Hannah in 2018 and is part of the family business behind the brand. The company’s story, name and day-to-day identity are rooted in that family structure rather than being presented as a national network of unrelated subcontractors.
- Co-founded AutoKeyChase in September 2018
- Part of the family business behind the AutoKeyChase brand
- Supports a locally focused business centred on Corby
- The “Chase” name connects back to the Middleton family story
Trust built on evidence
Why Customers Can Verify Who AutoKeyChase Is
Trust should come from visible evidence, not badges or memberships a business does not actually hold.
01
5.0 · 64+ Google Reviews
Live customer feedback gives prospective customers an independent view of the service experience rather than relying only on claims made on this website.
02
DBS Checked
A DBS check provides an additional professional trust signal for customers asking a mobile locksmith to work on their vehicle.
03
Fully Insured
AutoKeyChase has public liability and indemnity cover, providing an additional professional safeguard for mobile automotive locksmith work.
04
Real Working Evidence
The site uses genuine AutoKeyChase job photography rather than presenting stock photos as evidence of locksmith work.
05
Public Technical Expertise
AutoKeyChase publishes hands-on automotive locksmith videos and tutorials, giving customers a way to see the knowledge behind the service.
06
Transparent Service Claims
Pricing, response times and call-out information are presented with clear caveats because vehicle requirements and travel conditions vary from job to job.
07
Registered Company
AUTO KEY CHASE LTD is an active UK private limited company incorporated in September 2018. Verify at Companies House →
Experience you can actually see
Real AutoKeyChase Work, Not Stock Photography
An About page should show evidence of the work behind the business. These are genuine AutoKeyChase vehicle-key jobs and working photographs, used to demonstrate the type of practical automotive locksmith experience described throughout this page.
Hands-on work
Working at the Vehicle
AutoKeyChase is a mobile service, so much of the work happens where the customer’s vehicle is located. Genuine working images help connect the business identity on this page with the real-world automotive locksmith service customers are booking.
Explore services →
All keys lost
Hyundai i20 – No Working Key Remaining
An all-keys-lost job requires a different approach from simply copying a spare. This Hyundai i20 example shows the type of situation where the vehicle’s key system determines the cutting, programming and diagnostic route.
Lost car key service →
Spare key
BMW 120d – Spare Key Work
Spare-key work is a practical part of preventative vehicle ownership. This BMW 120d example also supports the brand-specific experience described on the site, where different vehicle generations and security systems can require different programming routes.
Spare car keys →
Programming
MINI – EWS4 Key Programming
EWS4 programming is a useful example of why modern locksmith work can involve immobiliser and vehicle-data knowledge as well as the physical key. It is the kind of technical job that makes appropriate diagnostic equipment and experience important.
Car key programming →
Independent recognition
Featured by Northampton Chronicle & Echo
In May 2026, Northampton Chronicle & Echo published a feature on Hannah and AutoKeyChase. The article reported that the business had completed more than 3,000 jobs in Northamptonshire after moving from London and highlighted Hannah’s place as a finalist in the National Locksmith Awards.
That coverage matters because it independently connects the AutoKeyChase name, Hannah Middleton, the Northamptonshire service history and the locksmith trade. It supports the same local entity customers see on the website, Google profile, social channels and public video content.
Modern automotive locksmith capability
Experience Is More Than the Number of Years in Business
Vehicle locksmithing has become increasingly electronic. A replacement key may involve cutting, transponder data, remote functions, immobiliser authorisation or vehicle modules, while a steering-lock or diagnostic fault can require a completely different route. AutoKeyChase therefore uses multiple professional platforms rather than treating every car as the same job.
Specialist experience includes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Škoda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, MG, LDV/SAIC, Ford, Polestar and Volvo, while the business covers all makes and models where the required work is supported. Cars, vans and trucks can all fall within the service scope.
The exact equipment and procedure depend on the vehicle. Tool names below describe the equipment used by AutoKeyChase and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the manufacturers.
Programming & diagnostic equipment
Zed-Full PlusSmart ProAutelACDP
VVDI ProgVVDI2VVDI MBKey Tool Plus
OSCAR-LinkTangoLonsdorKDX4
What AutoKeyChase actually does
Core Automotive Locksmith Services
The About page supports the business entity; dedicated service pages explain the individual jobs in greater depth.
Lost Car Keys
Help when no usable key remains, with the cutting, programming and diagnostic route determined by the vehicle.
Lost car key help →Car Key Replacement
Replacement keys for supported vehicles, with vehicle-specific cutting and programming carried out as required.
Replacement keys →Spare Car Keys
A practical backup while a working key is still available, helping reduce the disruption of a future all-keys-lost situation.
Spare keys →Vehicle Unlocking
Professional vehicle-entry methods with non-destructive access used wherever the vehicle design and fault allow.
Vehicle unlocking →Key Programming
Programming and diagnostic work for supported vehicle key and immobiliser systems using suitable professional equipment.
Key programming →Steering Lock & Ignition
Diagnosis, repair or replacement where the vehicle fault sits within the steering-lock or ignition system rather than the key alone.
Steering-lock services →
Vehicle experience
Brand-Specific Automotive Locksmith Experience
AutoKeyChase covers all makes and models where the required work is supported, while deeper experience with certain manufacturers allows the site to provide more useful vehicle-specific guidance.
Brand-specific experience matters because modern vehicles can use very different key, immobiliser and module systems. A BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagen Group key job may require a different programming route from a Ford, Volvo or Nissan, even when the customer-facing problem sounds identical.
Dedicated brand pages are therefore used where AutoKeyChase can add genuine information about supported models, key systems, programming work and real jobs. Other makes remain covered through the main Car Brands hub rather than creating a thin page simply to target every manufacturer name.
Local business, mobile service
Based in Corby and Working Across Surrounding Northamptonshire Areas
Corby is the business base and primary local focus. AutoKeyChase also provides mobile automotive locksmith work across nearby towns and smaller villages, generally within roughly a 35-mile radius depending on the job and availability.
Kettering is an important secondary service area, alongside Wellingborough, Northampton, Rothwell and surrounding local communities. Typical response times are around 30–60 minutes, but actual arrival times depend on distance, traffic and jobs already in progress.
Sharing practical expertise
AutoKeyChase Also Trains Other Locksmiths
Training is a secondary part of the business, not the main purpose of this local service website. Hannah uses real automotive locksmith experience to teach other locksmiths and shares practical technical material through AutoKeyChase’s public YouTube channel. Visitors looking for professional training can use the dedicated training page rather than the main local-service navigation.
Independent customer feedback
View Google profile →
What Customers Say About AutoKeyChase
The live Google review feed below gives visitors direct customer evidence alongside the business story and technical experience described above.
How we approach the work
What Customers Can Expect From AutoKeyChase
A professional automotive locksmith service should be clear about what is known, what varies and what needs checking on the vehicle.
Vehicle-Specific Advice
Quotes and repair routes are based on the make, model, year, registration, key situation and fault rather than assuming every vehicle uses the same process.
Clear Pricing Context
Car key services start from £90 where applicable. Final pricing depends on the vehicle and work required rather than a one-price-fits-all headline.
Normally No Call-Out Fee
AutoKeyChase normally does not charge a call-out fee. An additional charge may apply where a vehicle fault affects the work being carried out.
Realistic Response Times
Typical response times are around 30–60 minutes, but distance, traffic and current job load can change the actual arrival time.
AutoKeyChase · Corby
Need Help With Your Car Keys?
Call or message AutoKeyChase if you need lost-key help, vehicle entry, a replacement or spare key, programming, or another supported automotive locksmith service in Corby and surrounding areas.
★★★★★ 5.0 · 64+ Google Reviews
DBS CheckedFully InsuredAvailable 24/7Family-run since 2018