Bolton: Catalytic converter thefts update at Halliwell PACT

The issue was raised at a public meeting involving police officers and council officials in Halliwell this week.

As well as drug crime, dangerous driving and fly tipping, one of the key issues to be raised was the theft of catalytic converters in the area.

Sergeant Chris Gaskell said: “Normally there is only a small number of people doing it.

“We are monitoring it and seeing if there is a real risk of catalytic converters being stolen.

The issue was raised at a recent PACT meeting (Image: Newsquest)

“We are also looking at whether it is specific makes or models that are likely to be stolen but at the moment the data does not suggest that.”

Catalytic converters are often targeted by thieves, whether opportunistic or more organised, because of the rare metals they sometimes contain.

Those metals are then sold on to scrapyards, sold online or shipped overseas, sometimes fetching prices of hundreds of pounds but cost much more for the rightful owners to replace.

Sergeant Gaskell had been addressing the Partners and Community Together meeting at All Souls off Astley Street in Halliwell along with other officers, council officials and ward councillors Rabiya Jiva, Kevin Morris and Safwaan Patel.

The same issue had been raised at the previous such meeting, held at the same venue earlier this year.

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Since then concerns about catalytic converters have been raised not just in the Halliwell area but also in response to similar concerns about thefts all around the borough.

Thieves were caught on camera on Cannon Street in February this year stealing a catalytic converter from under a car in under a minute.

Taxi drivers have often proven to be particularly prone to being targeted in this way, as the testimony of Private Hire Taxi Union member Suraj Patel confirmed when he spoke to The Bolton News earlier this year after the previous Halliwell PACT meeting.

He said at the time that catalytic converter theft was regularly reported in his 750 member Whatsapp group of drivers, which could often have a devastating effect on their livelihoods.