Soaring prices spark car crime-wave

*Some thieves are stealing the number plates off parked vehicles, putting them on them own to use in drive-off thefts at filling stations.

*Others are using battery-powered electric hack-saws to cut the catalytic converters off parked vehicles to sell for their scrap value.

As diesel fuel tops 116.9p a litre at the forecourt locally, police are warning drivers to be on their guard against number plate theft.

Bexhill Neighbourhood Policing Team commander, Inspector James Scott, said yesterday: "We are getting three or four reports a day in Bexhill of number plate thefts."

On most cars it takes only moments to unscrew four plastic bolts and remove both front and rear number plates.

Sergeant Trish Reeve-Fowkes said in some instances thieves are not even going to this trouble but are simply tearing the plates off and sticking them on their own vehicles.

Bexhill police station is seeking a supply of one-way bolts for issue to the public.

One-way bolts were obtained by Sussex Police as an anti-crime measure following an earlier spate of number plate thefts. Once tightened in place, the bolts cannot be removed other than by drilling them out.

Sergeant Reeve-Fowkes said: "All we can do is warn the public to be on their guard. One trick is to superglue your number plate bolts in place. This gives some degree of security."

Theft of catalytic converters poses vehicle owners with an even bigger headache - and a potentially steep repair bill.

Inspector Scott said: "We are getting reports of catalytic converters being cut from vehicles and being sold for their scrap value. They contain precious meals and are currently fetching about 50.

Again, all police can do is warn the public to be vigilant. In some instances the converters are being cut from owners' vehicles in their own driveways.

Again, soaring prices are driving the crime trend.

A garage trade spokesman told the Observer: "Catalytic converters are currently hot property!

"Scrap metal prices in general have rocketed and these things contain precious metals, like titanium.

"But the cost of replacing a catalytic converter for a car today can be anything from 300 to 600.

"All scrap values are going up. Old alternators are fetching big money because of the copper wire in them. Aluminium prices have gone through the roof. We loaned a 4x4 as a courtesy car. The customer phoned in to say that a warning light had come on to say it was permanently in two-wheel drive.

"When we got it back someone had unbolted the aluminium propeller shaft and stolen that!

"They cost 1,500 to replace."