Hughes to beat thieves with free cat marking 19 July 2013

Mercedes-Benz van dealer Hughes of Aylesbury has joined forces with Thames Valley Police in a crime-busting initiative to thwart metal thieves.

Organised gangs nationwide are targeting catalytic converters fitted to many brands of van and 4x4, because of the high values of the platinum, rhodium and palladium in the emissions-cleaning equipment.

Hughes' service manager Darren Nottingham makes the point that both types of vehicle are vulnerable to this crime, because of their relatively high ground clearance.

On several occasions police have caught suspects red-handed with batches of catalytic converters, but have been unable to bring cases to court because they had no way of proving they were stolen, he adds.

Since last September, Mercedes-Benz has ensured that all exhaust systems on new Sprinter vans are security-etched – with windscreen stickers warning thieves that the cat has been marked.

Now, in a joint initiative with Thames Valley Police, Hughes of Aylesbury has gone a step further by inviting customers who bought vans before the manufacturer began etching catalytic converters at the port of entry, to bring their vehicles back into its workshops and get the job done free of charge.

"In minutes thieves can simply cut the catalytic converter from the exhaust pipe of a parked van," warns Nottingham. "They then sell it, achieving anything from £50 to £200 for each one."

And he continues: "The costs to you, however, are likely to be far greater. As well as those associated with the loss of man hours and having your vehicle off the road, catalytic converters can cost close to £2,000 to replace."

In addition to etching each catalytic converter with the vehicle's registration number, Hughes of Aylesbury is also spraying the unit with UV-tagged forensic paint.

Like other Mercedes-Benz dealers, for extra protection Hughes can also supply and fit Catloc devices and ProCatt alarms.

Anti-tamper bolts are used to fit the Catloc, which provide a protective shield for the catalytic converter, while the Thatcham-approved ProCatt system is designed to activate if the exhaust is cut, the bonnet opened, the exhaust, engine or battery tampered with, or the catalytic converter unbolted.

Detective Inspector Ian Wood who heads Thames Valley Police's Op Smog, which combats metal theft, says: "Catalytic converter theft is becoming increasingly organised and is a problem that affects many different types of vehicle.

"So, of course, we fully support Hughes of Aylesbury's retrospective security marking initiative, which we would like to see other dealers replicate.

"Not only will it make it less likely that Hughes' customers become the victims of crime, but it will also make our jobs easier when it comes to recovering stolen items and bringing the perpetrators to justice."

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd

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