Catalytic converter thefts in Kent increasing, data says

Converters can be removed from vehicles by thieves in under a minute, according to police

The number of catalytic converters being stolen from cars in Kent has hit a three year high, new figures show.

Data obtained by BBC Radio Kent reveal there were 329 cases in the county in 2021 - a rise by a quarter from the previous year.

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

The Home Office said there has been "significant success" in tackling metal theft.

The devices, fitted in car exhaust systems, reduce the emission of toxic gases and pollutants.

They are most frequently stolen in car parks, before being sold to scrapyards, online or shipped abroad.

Adam Hinchliffe, from Wadhurst, on the Kent and Sussex border, had his catalytic converter stolen from his Honda Jazz when it was parked outside his house.

"They jacked my car up, angle grinder, and sawed it off," he said, adding that the theft broke one of his rear shock absorbers.

The cost to replace the parts would have been more than his car's value, and his insurance payments would have increased if he had claimed.

James Kelly from the British Metals Recycling Association said the price of converters can range from £160-£250

James Kelly from the British Metals Recycling Association said catalytic converters were among the most common items stolen in the UK due to the value of the metals "rocketing in price" in the last few years.

He said the price of converters can range from £160 to £250.

A Home Office spokesperson said they "recognise the impact" that theft can have on victims and they want offenders "charged and brought to justice" in the courts.

They added there has been "significant success in tackling metal theft" since the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership was established in 2020, and through "co-ordinated national action" against scrap metal dealers.

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