Garage owner has a dozen catalytic converters stolen in one night

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats says there is a ‘theft epidemic’

Catalytic converter thefts

A garage owner from Berkshire has told ITV News that he is thousands of pounds out of pocket following a spate of catalytic converters thefts.

Catalytic converters contain valuable metals worth hundreds of pounds, such as rhodium, palladium and platinum.

They can be removed in a matter of minutes, before the thieves sell the parts via scrapyards, online or by exporting them to another country. Sheryar Malik of Lakeside Imports in Brimpton estimates that each theft cost him £1600.

“You cannot physically buy this catalytic converter in the UK,” he said of one particular car. “You have to import one of them from Japan.

“Being a sports car, such a powerful car, this is going to cost me an arm and a leg.”

It’s not just garages that are being targeted. Thieves will steal from cars parked outside residential addresses, often in broad daylight. The Metropolitan Police says a vehicle being raised using a jack or a loud cutting sound from underneath the vehicle are signs that a catalytic converter theft is being committed.

It goes on to recommend fitting guards to prevent a theft or to ensure that the vehicle is parked in a garage overnight. Motorists could also consider fitting a tilt sensor and/or welding the bolts to make it more difficult to remove the catalytic converter.

‘Catalytic converter theft epidemic’

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that police are solving just 1 percent of all catalytic converter thefts in England Wales, leaving tens of thousands of cases unsolved.

Richmond Park MP, Sarah Olney, said: ”There is a catalytic converter theft epidemic across many parts of the country, but far too often the gangs responsible are getting away with it. At the very least, people should be able to expect that if something is stolen from their vehicle it will be properly investigated.”

Victims were “not just massively inconvenienced but often left out of pocket and hit by higher insurance costs”, she added.

In response, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We recognise the impact that theft can have on victims and we want offenders charged and brought to justice in the courts.

“Since the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership was set up in 2020, there has been significant success in tackling metal theft through co-ordinated national action against scrap metal dealers – including a marked increase in enforcement action from police and partner agencies.”

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