Last updated 11:43, Monday, 08 September 2008

DRIVERS are being warned of a spate of catalytic converter thefts.

AA Insurance says thieves are often causing several hundreds of pounds worth of damage in the process.

A catalytic converter contains precious metals and costs between £600 and £1,500 to replace. It is worth around £60 to thieves who send it for specialist processing overseas.

The converter forms part of the exhaust system, so thieves remove it by either jacking the car up or targeting vehicles with a high ground clearance such as 4x4s or trucks.

Similarly, AA Insurance reports claims where thieves have damaged cars while attempting to steal fuel, leaving owners facing not just the loss of a perhaps £100 worth of petrol or diesel but the cost of repairing fuel systems and car bodywork.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: “This is a new crime causing resulting from high fuel and scrap metal values. It causes considerable inconvenience and expense for innocent motorists. Thieves work quickly and carelessly, sometimes causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.”