Recent data indicates that over the past five years, only 1% of reported catalytic converter thefts across England and Wales resulted in someone being charged for the crime. This meant that just short of 50,000 catalytic converter thefts were left unsolved.
A freedom of information request has shockingly revealed that, between 2017 and 2021, a suspect was charged in 548 cases of catalytic converter theft across 20 police areas in England and Wales – a fraction of the total 50,223 thefts reported during this time. Perhaps more shocking still is that of these 548 charges, 544 were within London – meaning that only four catalytic converter theft cases have been solved outside London in the past five years.
This data comes at a time when catalytic converter theft has been skyrocketing due to the increased value of the precious metals contained within. This, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, has driven increasing numbers of people to criminal acts – including stealing catalytic converters and selling them for scrap.
What can I do to protect myself from catalytic converter theft? Is my car at risk?
Catalytic converter theft can take less than a minute and cost anywhere between £150 and £800 to replace. If your vehicle has its catalytic converter stolen, you risk not only a rise in your insurance premium but potentially writing off your vehicle entirely – depending on the damage done. So, you want to take all necessary precautions to protect yourself, particularly if you have an older car or hybrid.
Common sense solutions such as parking in visible locations monitored by CCTV and other things you may not have considered – such as avoiding parking on a raised curb – can really help lower the risk of theft. To find out if your car is at particular risk of catalytic converter theft and find some top tips to help keep your vehicle safer from crime, check out our blog on catalytic converter theft for more information.
I’ve got a scrap car with a valuable catalytic converter to recycle – where can I sell it for scrap?
If you have a catalytic converter that you’d like to sell for scrap, that’s great news, as they can be highly valuable! Scrap your car with Singleton’s; we recycle vehicles safely, legally, and environmentally – and we’ll pay for your scrap there and then. We can even arrange to collect your scrap car if it is no longer roadworthy, though we do not remove abandoned vehicles.
To help protect everyone from crime, we can only accept scrap vehicles with a V5 logbook. Likewise, we must see valid photo identification documents before we can pay for any scrap metal, so don’t forget your ID. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
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