Thieves and organised gangs are continuing to target catalytic converters from vehicles across Gloucestershire.
Thieves have been targeting vehicles across the county at all times of the day, primarily in daylight hours, where they can be removed in a matter of minutes.
They have been stolen from vehicles in supermarket car parks, as well as those on the roadside.
The most recent reports were yesterday, Wednesday 24 February, with thefts in Stonehouse and Cheltenham.
Police have received reports of people parking next to a target vehicle, jacking it up and removing the catalytic converter in a matter of minutes.
Victims only notice the crime after it has happened when they start their vehicle.
The main vehicles targeted by thieves at the moment are Toyotas, specifically the Prius model, and Hondas, specifically the Jazz model.
Hybrid models in particular are more desirable to thieves due to the higher concentration of precious metals and are generally less corroded.
The rise in the value of the precious metals they contain is thought to be the reason behind the spike in this offence.