Catalytic Converters stolen from property
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We are sharing footage showing just how easily a catalytic converter can be taken from a vehicle, and urging members of the public to be vigilant after a rise in the number of catalytic converter thefts across the county.
Earlier this month, brothers Anthony and Thomas McDonald were jailed for a combined total of more than three years after pleading guilty to a number of catalytic converter thefts.
They had embarked on a spree of thefts – with one brazen incident, shown in this video, taking place in broad daylight on the corner of a busy street. The brothers, along with an accomplice, were eventually caught at Spider Island following a pursuit by our roads policing unit.
In the last year, more than 180 catalytic converters have been stolen across Derbyshire – the cost of which to replace is nearly £200,000.
Catalytic converters contain two valuable metals, rhodium and palladium, which increased in value during 2020 and has recently gone up again to the highest it has been in 10 years.
Hybrid cars are particularly vulnerable because their converters are cleaner, which means the metals inside them are less likely to corrode.
Please be vigilant in your local areas and if you spot anything suspicious, call 999 immediately as this will be treated as a crime in progress.