Man arrested following Notts catalytic converter thefts

The 21-year-old man was arrested today (January 14) in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on suspicion of theft.

It follows reports of seven catalytic converter thefts from city car parks on 25 November 2019.

Four were from the Toton Lane park and ride site, two from the Phoenix Park park and ride and one at The Forest park and ride.

The man remains in police custody.

Catalytic converters, which convert vehicle exhaust emissions into less toxic gasses, are targeted because they contain high value metals.

In recent months there has been a spate of incidents across Nottinghamshire, mostly in car parks and open spaces but also on residential streets.

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Broadhead, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As previous incidents have shown, it can take offenders only a matter of seconds to remove a catalytic converter which is why we’re urging members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to us.

“As today's arrest shows, we are taking positive action as a force to identify individuals suspected to be involved in this crime type and to bring them to justice.

“If you see anyone jacking a car up in a public car park, see anything that doesn't sit right or anyone acting strangely please call us on 101. If a crime is currently taking place, call 999.”