Gardaí have issued a public warning following several incidents recently where catalytic converters have been stolen from vehicles.
Following two incidents in the east of the county, another theft took place in Clarecastle last week also.
That incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning last. At around 3am, the owner of a car on Patrick Street, Clarecastle thought he heard the sound of a grinder outside his house. When he went to go to work the following day he discovered that the catalytic convertor had been cut away from his car.
Two similar incidents occurred last week in east Clare.
Clare Crime Prevention Office Sgt Triona Brooks said: “It can cost the owner up to €2,500 to replace the catalytic converter. It can take as little as three minutes for a thief to remove one. They are being stolen because of the increasing prices in the scrap metal market (platinum, rhodium, palladium and other precious metals they are used to clean exhaust emissions).”
She continued: “We would advise car owners to:
– Property mark the catalytic converter
– Weld bolts shut to act as a deterrent to a thief using a spanner
– Casing is also available from various garages
– Park your car as close to the wall of your house / driveway as you can making access under vehicles harder and ensure that there is good security lighting where you park.”
Sgt Brooks has asked anyone with information to contact their local Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
For Crime Prevention advise visit www.garda.ie.
