SIX cars parked at the Handforth Dean retail park were targeted within the space of a week by catalytic converter thieves.

All the thefts took place on the main car park off Kiln Croft Lane during the early afternoon.

Catalytic converter exhaust systems are a target for criminals because they contain valuable metal parts.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said Toyota and Honda cars were targeted, with two of the thefts on November 25, one the next day, two more on November 27 and the latest on December 2.

The thefts happened between 1pm and 3pm.

“Toyota and Honda cars have been targeted, but other vehicles may also be at risk,” said the spokesman.

“If you see anyone using tools on cars in such places call 999.”

 

Admiral Insurance said there had been a huge increase in catalytic converter thefts since lockdown restrictions eased.

The company said: “Precious metals found in catalytic converters in vehicles are worth a fortune to thieves – some even more than gold.

“Honda Jazz, Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris and Lexus RX are the models most targeted.”

Lorna Connelly, head of claims at Admiral, said: “At the beginning of 2020 we saw an increase in the number of catalytic converter thefts in the UK, with 400 claims in January alone.

“However, with more people staying at home due to lockdown restrictions, we saw the number of thefts drop, with just 52 claims in April.

“Unfortunately, these types of thefts are dramatically rising in number again, as restrictions in some parts of the country have eased, and it’s clear they are fast approaching pre-lockdown rates.

“The increase since June has been significant, and shows thieves are back to stealing the precious metals found in catalytic converters in some cars, which are then being sold on for a profit.

“Palladium, platinum, and rhodium found in the converters are worth a fortune to thieves. Currently, palladium is even more valuable than gold, rhodium is worth almost two thirds of the value of gold, and platinum is around half the value of gold.”