String of cars stripped of parts in Birmingham city centre

Cars have been stripped of parts in a spate of separate thefts while parked in Birmingham city centre, a BBC investigation has found.

Motorists came forward after one woman's car was targeted in Digbeth, while she attended a concert.

The BBC has learned of nine similar incidents in the Digbeth area in January alone.

Three motorists told us their cars had also been stripped by thieves last year, all at the same car park.

Charaya White, 28, from Birmingham, said the ordeal had brought on a panic attack when she found parts of her Citroen C1 were scavenged at New Canal Street car park in May 2022.

Before and after photos show the damage to the bonnet of Ms White's Citroen C1

"Initially I thought my car had been hit by someone in the car park," Ms White said, who had parked there for 24 hours as she caught the train to London for her birthday.

"I literally just broke down... I just went into a state of shock," she said.

Ms White brought a civil court case for negligence against the owners of the car park, Good Value Parking Limited, but ended up dropping it, she said, due to a lack of evidence.

She said CCTV cameras pointing towards her parked car had not been working.

Good Value Parking Limited, managed by Gallan Group, has been contacted by the BBC

She added she had chosen this particular car park because there were signs claiming it was patrolled.

Good Value Parking Limited, which is managed by Gallan Group, has been approached by the BBC for comment, but has yet to respond.

'Just a car'

"A lot of people have said 'it's just a car', but I rely on my car a lot," Ms White said.

Because she is asthmatic, Ms White said she needed her car for doctors appointments and to get to work. She said she was relying on taxis to do her shopping, which were costing her £12 a trip.

"I was in the process of trying to buy a house, but because my car had been stolen and was a write off, I was in the position between choosing my car or buying a house.

"If I was to take out new credit, it would affect my credit score," Ms White said, who is currently still renting.

Our investigation also found:

• Meg Matthews, 21, from Stourbridge, had her Vauxhall Corsa stripped while parked at New Canal Street car park in October 2022

• Caleb, a student in Coventry, parked his partner's Toyota Yaris at the same car park in November 2022 as they attended a concert nearby, and returned to find it missing much of its front end

• On social media, several drivers told tales of their own cars being stripped in Birmingham. One woman described how her daughter's car lost its bonnet while parked on a street in Digbeth and another said thieves had stripped her car outside her flat in Ladywood three times - most recently in January

• The vehicles targeted tend to be popular, small cars, none of which could be described as luxury models

Meg Matthews said the ordeal had caused her to be too frightened to go back into the city centre

Meg Matthews said she had booked a day's parking while she went to London on a train with a friend.

The 21-year-old walked back to the car park on her own at about 23:00 GMT.

"I sat down and shut my door, I heard glass shatter, looked to the side of me and my window was completely smashed," Ms Matthews said.

"That's when I looked forward and realised my bonnet was missing."

She said she had called the police straight away, who told her they could not send anyone out to see her.

"I was then stuck in my car for at least half an hour until my friend could actually come and get me," she said.

"I was terrified, I couldn't move."

Ms Matthews said she contacted the car park who said the CCTV cameras did not work

Ms Matthews said officers had told her to contact her insurance company as there was nothing they could do.

She said she had felt stranded by the police and scared as a young woman, alone in a car park late at night.

West Midlands Police said an 18-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of theft in January, but bailed with conditions while inquires continue.

A spokesperson for the force said: "We've stepped up patrols around car parks in Digbeth after a number of vehicles have been stripped of parts.

"We received nine reports during January and we know the inconvenience and frustration this causes for car owners."

The spokesperson added officers were also working with cadets to offer crime prevention advice.

Ms Matthews heard glass shatter when she got into her car at night and shut the door

The day after the theft, the carcass of Ms Matthews' car was taken away by her insurance company and her annual premium has now gone up by about £500.

While both Ms Matthews and Ms White have been affected financially by the thefts, they both say the incidents have also damaged their confidence.

Ms White said she felt her personal space had been invaded.

"I don't know why, but I had it in my head that they were going to come into my flat and try and maybe take something else," she said.

Ms Matthews said she had not returned to Birmingham for a while.

"I went back with my friend the other week but ended up having a panic attack and coming home," she said.

Caleb and his partner's Toyota Yaris was stripped of parts while at a concert in Digbeth

Student Caleb, whose partner's car was also stripped of parts at New Canal Street car park, spoke of the "traumatising experience".

He said he had called the police, who said it had been logged and for the couple to arrange their own recovery. However, when he revisited his case weeks later, he said it had been discontinued due to a lack of evidence.

In December, West Midlands Police said officers had arrested more than 100 suspected car criminals within three months in a crackdown on vehicle crime.

A specialist vehicle crime taskforce was set up in September, involving officers with local knowledge.

Work has included operations to close down so-called chop shops, which act as a market for car thieves.

In autumn last year, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said it was aware of a number of car-part thefts in the West Midlands and Scotland. It added it was not something forces were seeing as a significant emerging trend nationally, but the situation was being closely monitored.

An NPCC spokesperson said: "We encourage everyone to use reputable garages to reduce the risk of stolen parts being used in your vehicle.

"Wherever possible, try to park your vehicle where it will be visible. Dark and secluded areas can be attractive to thieves.

"If you are using a car park, we encourage use of those which have the safer parking status Park Mark (The Safer Parking Scheme), which is awarded to parking facilities that have met the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the police and are regularly assessed to ensure their accreditation."