Police are warning van drivers in a North West town to park their vehicles in a well lit place and ensure their commercial vehicle insurance is up to date. The warning comes as a spate of incidents involving thieves stealing catalytic converters from a number of vans has occurred over the last few weeks.
Detectives would also like anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in various locations throughout Crewe to contact them after companies and private owners have been left counting the cost of the thefts.
Detective Sergeant Dan Ackerley said “It’s vitally important that anyone who spots something that doesn’t seem quite right contacts police. You might assume someone lying underneath a van is just fixing it, but they could be stealing vehicle parts. Thieves have targeted businesses in Sandbach, Congleton, Macclesfield and Knutsford. Now three more vans have been targeted in Crewe.”
It is local businesses who appear to have been targeted by thieves’ intent on stealing the devices which on the whole have been taken from Iveco vans. The police believe the vehicle parts are being sold as scrap metal. While police are seriously investigating the thefts they are also urging all businesses to take whatever steps are needed to protect their vans. One good idea is to mark the converter with a distinguishing mark which will make identifying it much easier. Some converters are only attached to the car exhaust using bolts, and this can make them even easier to remove.
The converter is a valuable device and theft is a common concern so protecting the catalytic converter from theft needs to be a priority. Most drivers will not even notice the catalytic converter is missing until the van starts making a much louder noise than usual, so regular checks need to be made and anything suspicious reported to police straight away. The police are also asking all scrap metal dealers to be mindful and honest if someone comes in with a catalytic converter or an exhaust system from a van, and if in doubt to contact Crewe Police or Crimestoppers.