During the national week of action, neighbourhood policing teams in the county were involved in a range of activity to raise awareness and crackdown on offenders.

The initiative took place between 10 and 16 February and saw officers join representatives from the Environment Agency, BCP Council and Dorset Council to visit scrap dealers in the area, while traffic officers also carried out a number of proactive stops of vehicles across the county.

As well as identifying a number of unrelated traffic offences through the vehicle stops, the awareness work also resulted in information being received that led to the arrest of two men on suspicion of the theft of a skip containing metals after they reportedly attempted to make off from a vehicle in the Ferndown area.

There has been a reduction in catalytic converter thefts since the start of a multi-agency initiative to encourage more forensic marking of vehicles that began in May 2021, with just two incidents reported during the month of January 2022 compared to 98 in May 2021.

However, Dorset Police remains committed to tackling the issue, which can cause considerable expense and inconvenience for victims as offenders target the precious materials contained in catalytic converters.

“We have continued to work with our partners and local businesses to raise awareness of this crime and offer advice on how members of our communities can help protect themselves from becoming victims,” explained Adrian Thompson, neighbourhood inspector of Bournemouth police. “There are things like locks or guards that are available from dealerships to protect catalytic converters and simple steps such as parking close to a wall or fence and in well-lit overlooked area can also assist.

“For those who sadly do become victims, forensically marking their catalytic converters make them harder for thieves to dispose of and can help us trace and catch offenders.”

He urged anyone who believes they witness a catalytic converter theft to report it as soon as it’s happening. If a crime is in progress, dial 999. Otherwise, you can contact www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101.