The precious metals used in catalytic converters means they are an attractive target for thieves and Police Scotland has issued the following advice to help prevent such thefts.
Park your car in a locked garage where possible, or in a well-lit and well-populated area.
Park close to fences, walls or a kerb with the exhaust being closest to the fence, wall or kerb to make the theft more difficult.
Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road.
If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other cars and facing your bonnet towards the wall if possible.
If there is a fleet of vehicles, park the low clearance vehicles to block the high clearance vehicles.
If your catalytic converter is bolted on, you can ask for your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove.
Etch a serial number on the converter.
Consider using the permanent Selectamark CAT Marking kit to mark the converter
Purchase a ‘cage clamp’ or ‘cat guard’ which is a cage device that locks in around the converter.
Speak to your dealership about the possibility of adding a tilt sensor that will activate the alarm.
Ask your manufacturer or dealer if they can give you any other advice.
Remember: If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property or vehicles please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person(s) or vehicle(s) involved. Please call ‘999’ if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
