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Thefts of catalytic converters have more than doubled in the last year due to the rocketing value of precious metals.
Some police forces have seen them rise by more than 400 per cent, with organised gangs targeting dozens of cars a day.
Between 2019 and 2020, thefts across England, Wales and Northern Ireland rose by 104 per cent on average, figures from 25 forces obtained by Which? show.
A single converter, which cleans harmful gases before they exit an exhaust pipe, can fetch as much as £400
Rare metals found in catalytic converters are more valuable than gold and can be easily sold on.
So a single converter, which cleans harmful gases before they exit an exhaust pipe, can fetch as much as £400.
Cheshire Police’s assistant chief constable Jenny Simms said: ‘We recognise the impact [of this] on victims. Policing and law enforcement agencies will continue to ensure that this low-risk/high-reward crime is targeted and offenders are brought to justice.’
Figures from 25 forces show that North Wales Police saw the largest increase, from 9 thefts in 2019 to 46 in
