A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of catalytic converter theft after a car failed to stop for police.
The 24-year-old man, from Derby, was arrested in Rugby at 12.25am on Wednesday (April 21).
It came after a car using suspected cloned number plates was spotted by officers on patrol in Wood Street.
As officers turned around to intercept the vehicle, the driver turned his lights off and made off at speed.
The car eventually stopped and the two occupants fled – with one of them being caught in Newbold Road and arrested on suspicion of theft and going equipped.
Officers seized a trolley jack, electric saw with a metal cutting blade, a drill and a wrench from the car.
Det Insp Collette O’Keefe from Rugby Proactive CID said: “This was an excellent piece of proactive police work to identify a suspect vehicle and seize equipment we believe would have been used to steal catalytic converters.
“We are committed to tackling catalytic converter thefts in Warwickshire and urge the public to remain vigilant to the signs of this crime and report any information to us.
“If you see a car being lifted up and hear the sound of metal being cut it could be a catalytic converter theft in action. If you suspect this, contact police immediately by calling 999.”
Anyone who has any information relating to this arrest is asked to call Warwickshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Visit https://bit.ly/32z5Ajz for advice on how to prevent catalytic converter theft.
