Vehicle thefts on the rise ‘due to shortage of car parts’
A SHARP rise in vehicle thefts could be linked to a shortage of car parts, police have said.
Thieves across the country are stripping motors “in a matter of hours” so they can sell the parts on for “high prices”.
Factory shutdowns due to Covid has led to semiconductor chips and other components being in short supply. There were 88,915 car thefts recorded by 34 police forces in the 12 months to March, working out at 244 being stolen each day — one every six minutes.
Supt Jim Munro, of West Midlands Police, said: “We’ve seen issues around microchips, but also particular vehicle parts that have been troublesome for people to get hold of.
“Some of those parts are being sold for quite high prices due to the demand.”
West Midlands Police have seen a 19 per cent increase in car thefts over the past two years, with only South Yorkshire (28 per cent) and the City of London (25 per cent) higher.
Read more on car thefts
Surrey saw a 12 per cent rise, Merseyside four per cent and Greater Manchester one.
Supt Munro added: “People will work through the night in industrial areas, and sometimes these vehicles have been stripped in a matter of hours. The parts are then being sold and the shells waiting for scrap.”
He warned drivers to be wary of crooks using signal blockers to prevent cars locking properly when a fob is used — even when parking at home.
He said: “When you’re locking your vehicle, make sure that vehicle is locked, that the signal is not being blocked, no matter how long you’re leaving the vehicle for.”
