Catalytic converter thefts soar

A report from the RAC and insurer Ageas found that catalytic converter thefts now account for three-in-every- ten thefts from private vehicles in the UK, up from two-in-10 before the pandemic.

Thieves are after the precious metals the converters contain such as platinum and rhodium the prices of which have soared – especially on the black market.

Drivers are often oblivious of their catalytic converters being stolen, most often when cars are parked outside people’s homes or sometimes in supermarket car parks. The first they know about it is when their cars suddenly become excessively noisy because the converters form part of the exhaust system.