Three arrested after raid of suspected chop shop

Four stolen vehicles were recovered from the suspected chop shop

Three men have been arrested after a suspected chop shop was uncovered by police on the border of Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

Four stolen cars were recovered from the site in the Hagley and Halesowen area along with hundreds of suspected stolen car parts and £5,000 in cash.

The men, aged 36, 40 and 47, from the West Midlands area were arrested at the scene on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

They have all been bailed while enquiries continue.

West Mercia Police raided the premises on Friday following two car key burglaries in Marlbrook, Worcestershire, on 13 March.

Det Sgt Kelle Westwood from North Worcestershire CID said: “Intel work led us to the site where we have recovered four stolen cars and hundreds of pieces of evidence of a wider operation involving the use of stolen car parts and cash at this site resulting in the three arrests which we are now investigating further."

She added: "Chop shops are a place where criminals sell stolen cars to be stripped for parts where they are often used to repair a car that has been written off by an insurance company and bought by the chop shop as salvage."