Thieves cost car hire company 'thousands'

Bosses at Hendy Hire on the Ponswood Industrial Estate in St Leonards said the culprits specifically targeted catalytic convertors from parked cars and vans in their depot.

Christopher Apps, operations manager, said: "Over the Bank Holiday weekend we had seven catalytic convertors and one complete exhaust system stolen from our vehicles while parked in the locked compound.

"The total value of this was more than 10,000 and this will have to be paid by ourselves.

"This is not the first time this has occurred at this location, as we have been targeted on many occasions."

Mr Apps said the firm had been targeted at least three times in the last 18 months, each time costing the business 10,000.

He said: "This is so frustrating to our company."

Phil Boswell, maintenance manager, said the thefts usually happened during holidays and weekends overnight.

He said he believed the catalytic convertors were mainly targeted because the metal inside them was valuable.

Mr Boswell said: "Thieves can either unbolt the catalytic convertor or cut it off. Every time they do this it costs us up to 1,500 alone.

"We don't have cameras on site as we believe they wouldn't be a deterrant." He said it was 'almost impossible' for police to catch the culprits because fingerprints were never left.

Mr Boswell said: "The catalytic convertors are underneath the cars and with the right tools they can just unscrew them off."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The business was broken into between 12 noon on Saturday and 8am on Tuesday but the owners did not notice the theft had occurred until Tuesday afternoon.

"Seven catalytic convertors were stolen, as well as an exhaust system. Police are investigating but no one has been arrested as yet."

If anyone has information on the latest theft they should call Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999.