A GARAGE in Ellesmere has teamed up with officers from West Mercia Police in an attempt to stop the rise in catalytic converter thefts in the area. Richards Auto Services will be offering free catalytic converter marking kits on Friday, August 5 from 10am to 2pm.

It comes after they saw a huge increase in thefts over the last few months in the area.

The kits provide each catalytic converter with a unique reference number stored on a database which will help officers in identifying stolen parts.

Whitchurch Herald: Catalytic Convertor Security Marking Day

A spokesman from Richards Auto Services said: "We are now helping to raise awareness of the issue; encouraging the reporting of thefts to the police as well as offering the service free of charge to all our customers old and new."

According to the auto shop it could take a thief less than three minutes to remove a catalytic converter from its housing on the car exhaust pipe.

With that they have also put together a couple of tips to protect your property:

  • Keep your vehicle in a garage if you can
  • If you park it on a driveway, install motion activated lighting
  • Park in a well-lit, populated area
  • Locks are also available that can be fitted to your converter
  • Mark your catalytic converter with SmartWater