Car insurance customers have been warned about the increasing risk of exhaust system thefts in car parks .
According to insurance retailer Swinton, recent months have seen a surge in this sort of crime, where exhausts are sawn off, particularly in the north-west of England.
Steve Chelton, insurer development manager at Swinton, explained how the rising prices of scrap metal had let to an increase in thefts.
He added: "While there is currently no way to stop this type of theft from occurring, we urge all motorists to be vigilant when leaving their vehicles in car parks and to report any unusual behaviour to the police immediately.
"Swinton is urging owners of 4x4s to be especially cautious as they have been the main target so far, probably due to the fact that the vehicles are higher off the ground and easier to tamper with."
Another factor that may have contributed to the increase in exhaust theft is the fact that catalytic converters often contain platinum, a valuable precious metal .




