Another 105 vehicles marked

Police in Huntingdon have provided another 105 catalytic converter marking kits as part of a crackdown against thieves.

Vehicle owners signed up to the free marking scheme and attended Kwik Fit in Redwongs Way, Huntingdon yesterday (31 July) where staff gave up their time to carry out the security marking.

On 17 July the force held it’s first ever marking day and successfully marked 84 vehicles of varying makes and models.

Sergeant Jess Clarke said: “Following the success and popularity of the first event, we wanted to keep momentum going and put on another event.

“The uptake has been fantastic with the event booking up in less than three hours. It’s great to see vehicle owners working alongside us to try and deter thieves.”

It takes just minutes for thieves to remove a catalytic converter and on many occasions victims are unaware their vehicle has been targeted even though it was sat on their driveway.

Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of every car and reduce the output of toxic gases and pollutants. Stealing them has become popular because they are not easily identifiable and can be sold on for the precious metals found inside them.

Marking the catalytic converters allows officer to identify stolen property and provide evidence for prosecutions. It also ensures that scrap metal merchants have a way of detecting stolen items and can refuse to purchase them.

More information about catalytic converter theft is available on the website.