Car crime has seen a resurgence in the United Kingdom over the past three years, with catalytic converter thefts a growing problem.
Criminals have discovered the potential to make quick money by stealing the exhaust components for the precious metals contained within.
New research has uncovered the locations across the country that have seen the biggest increases in stolen catalytic converters.
London tops the charts
The research, undertaken by Compare the Market, was based upon a series of Freedom of Information requests made to police forces. This analysed information for catalytic converter thefts for the previous three years.
Unsurprisingly, London has the largest total of catalytic converter thefts. More shocking is that 12,483 of the 15,237 total thefts in the capital happened in the last year alone.
Away from London, the overall numbers of catalytic converter thefts fall substantially. Birmingham and Coventry are the next highest, with 320 and 287 stolen ‘cats’ in the past three years respectively.
However, it is the upward trend in these locations that is now causing concern.
Cat thefts on the rise
Warrington tops the charts for the biggest rise in thefts. Jumping from a single stolen catalytic converter in 2018/19, to 28 in 2019/20, makes for a 2,700 percent year-on-year increase.
Cities in the West Midlands complete the top three, with both Wolverhampton (1,475 percent increase) and Coventry (652 percent increase) included.
Compare the Market also investigated the London boroughs with the largest rises. Sutton in south London recorded a 1,608 percent year-on-year increase, followed by Bromley and Havering.
Metal prices through the roof
Driving the increase in catalytic converter thefts are the metals found inside them. The values of platinum, palladium and rhodium have all seen huge rises, making them an attractive commodity for thieves.
The lower emissions from hybrid cars have made them a particular target. Criminals believe the precious metals inside their catalytic converters suffer less corrosion, boosting their value.
Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at Compare the Market, commented that: “These statistics are high and the value of metals has gone up significantly, resulting in a car part which was previously of little interest to thieves suddenly becoming very valuable, which explains the spikes.”
Along with having comprehensive insurance, drivers can take a number of measures to protect their catalytic converters. This includes parking your car in a garage, installing CCTV, or fitting a dedicated ‘cat lock’ device.
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