Crimes from a wider area that may affect us, taken from Nextdoor App reports - Please read attached PFCC warning about catalytic converter crime.

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We have listed some of the crimes recently reported in the Nextdoor app and any crimes listed in comments below these stories:

A blue, Deep Impact, Ford Galaxy, reg: YE16HYA was stolen from a driveway in Barrington Road, Loughton on 16th October, sometime between 18:30 and 22:00. The owners still have both coded keys. On 15th October a man was filmed stealing a newly purchased heater from the porch area of a home. The equipment was clearly in a new box when the thief took it and placed it on his van. The homeowner was waiting for her husband to come home to take the box into their home.

On Friday 16th October at 12pm, 2 Eastern European men walked down the drive of a home in Chigwell and stole 3 fire extinguishers.  They placed them on a silver Mercedes sprinter van reg number KR20 VXT.  The owner of the property has shared some images:

Two white men aged about 35, one with black beard, black water proof clothing the other with a black beard black clothing and red baseball cap stole the exhaust from a black Honda in southern drive, Loughton on 16th October. The men acted very calm and waved at a local resident even as he was calling the police. They brazenly use a very noisy machine.

Three police cars arrived whilst the local man was speaking to 101 but the men had absconded the time of their arrival after the caller spent 15 minutes on the phone.

We remind you all that if you see a crime in progress you should call 999 which is an immediate emergency service.

1 week ago a Catalytic Converter was stolen from Roding Road, Loughton, leaving the family with a £600 bill for repairs.

A month earlier a Catalytic Converter was stolen from Avondale Drive at 1am and a local has said the thieves 'also waved bye bye'.

Just before lock down two neighbours lost one each during an overnight theft in Loughton.  

A hospital worker has also warned people that these catalytic converters are also being stolen from the car parks of  a hospital - she did not name the hospital.  I have found this report on the internet referring to a large spate of thefts from South-end Hospital (click here)

A number of catalytic converters have now been stolen from Chigwell Row too and reported in our community whatsapp.  The crime is one that is believed to be linked to other serious organised crime and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex has shared this warning (click here)

You may want to look into buying a CATCLAMP or alternative safety measure:

Information taken from their website:

Over the past 5 years catalytic converter theft has been increasing year on year. Thieves are stealing the catalytic converter portion of your exhaust system leaving the vehicle disabled, the exhaust system damaged and repair bills that can run from £500 to £2,500 or even more. The effect on you or your business is often expensive as it can cause a loss of revenue, loss of the vehicle, cost to hire a replacement vehicle, cost to pay your insurance excess and possible increased insurance premiums. The Met Police have reported that catalytic converter theft cost the UK vehicle owner over £10 million in 2012-2013. This is a 50% increase in thefts over the previous year. 

Read more (here)