Catalytic converter thefts on rise in Cambridgeshire say police

Det Insp Cooper said converters could be removed from vehicles in "just minutes"

The number of catalytic converters being stolen from vehicles in Cambridgeshire has more than doubled since 2019, police figures show.

Cambridgeshire Police said thieves stole 758 devices in 2022 compared to 314 in 2019, with 133 thefts already being recorded by 31 January this year.

Det Insp Dan Cooper said "several groups of people" were travelling into the county to carry out the thefts.

He is urging people to report any suspicious activity.

The figures reveal an average of two devices a day are being stolen across Cambridgeshire

Mr Cooper said often victims were unaware their vehicles have been targeted "even though it was sat on their driveway".

He said: "We're urging people to look out for vehicles jacked up, especially in the middle of the vehicle, and listen out for the sound of metal being cut.

"There may be a vehicle nearby with the engine running and two or three people involved."

• Only 1% of catalytic converter thefts are solved

Catalytic converters, fitted in car exhaust systems, reduce the emission of toxic gases and pollutants.

Thieves are attracted to the valuable metals the devices contain, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.

Stealing them has become popular because it can take less than two minutes to remove them and it is hard to identify them when they are sold on, police said.

There had been an increase in people reporting the thefts as they were happening, leading to some arrests and seizures of the stolen parts, said Mr Cooper.

But he continued: "Please don't approach these people - they have been known to be violent in the past and may even be carrying weapons.

"Instead, call us and share the vehicle number plate and any other details that could help us."