A man from Hampshire has spoken of his frustration at having to make a van insurance claim following the theft of a £2,500 catalytic converter from his Ford vehicle.
The 43-year-old told the News that the thieves "seem to have got underneath with a saw and cut the converter off.
Amazingly, it is the second time in a year that the businessman has had the catalytic converter stolen from his van; the same thing happened to his previous vehicle, with a replacement costing him £400.
"I thought it had stopped a year ago," he said. "It was a bit of a shock when I found out it would cost £2,500. It's just a lot of money to find.
"I just want it stopped. There must be a gang going round doing it," he said.
And, although the man can claim for the loss of the part on his van insurance policy, he will have to pay a £250 excess.
Car and van insurance companies say that there has been a surge in catalytic converter theft since the onset of the credit crunch, in part because of the valuable metals they contain.