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Cat-con and car thieves target vehicles in Bishop's Stortford




A gang of hooded, masked men was seen stealing a catalytic converter from a sports car in Bishop's Stortford.

The victim left their Mazda MX-5 in Apton Court, just off Apton Road, on Thursday February 25, between 7am and 9pm.

They were unable to start the car. They noticed cut marks on the bodywork and saw that the exhaust emission control device was missing when they checked underneath the vehicle.

A catalytic converter
A catalytic converter

When they asked neighbours if they had seen anything suspicious that day, one said they had spotted three or four men in a D-reg BMW, all wearing hoods and masks, lift up the vehicle and use an angle grinder to remove the car part.

The victim contacted police, who are investigating a spate of catalytic converter thefts in Bishop's Stortford. In many of these, the thieves tend to target Honda Jazz hatchbacks.

Police advise witnesses to call 999 if a crime is in progress to increase the chances of officers being able to catch criminals.

This image shows how thieves access keyless cars (44962890)
This image shows how thieves access keyless cars (44962890)

Meanwhile, in Rochford Road on the Parsonage estate, an 18-plate keyless Audi Q2 which was parked on the pavement outside its owner's home was stolen between 10.30pm that Thursday (Feb 25) and 8am the next day.

The victim told police their house had not been burgled and they still had the key fob.

Some thieves will target keyless vehicles as they are able to use equipment to hijack and amplify the fob's signal, fooling the system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine.

Owners of keyless cars can minimise their chances of falling victim to this crime by investing in a signal-blocking pouch – a bag with a thin, metallic lining. This makes it more difficult for tech-savvy criminals to clone their devices.



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