The top target for car crooks: Thefts of catalytic converters double in three years because devices contain valuable metals criminals can sell Figures from 40 UK police forces revealed thefts UK had more than doubled from 3,957 in 2010 to 8,947 in 2012 Police say 4x4 vehicles and vans are particularly at risk because they are easy to crawl underneath The anti-pollution devices from cars and vans contain increasingly precious and sought-after metals such as platinum and palladium which can be sold By Ray Massey, Transport Editor Alarming: Thefts of valuable ¿green¿ catalytic converters from cars have more than doubled over the past three years Thefts of valuable "green" catalytic converters from cars have more than doubled over the past three years, new figures reveal. Criminals are ripping out the anti-pollution devices from cars and vans because they contain increasingly precious and sought-after metals such as platinum and palladium - leaving motorists with repair bills of thousands of pounds. Soaring scrap metal prices have seen thefts increase ten fold in some areas. Altogether almost 25,000 thefts were reported to police forces across the UK between 2010 and the first half of this year. Police say 4x4 vehicles and vans are particularly at risk because they are easy to crawl underneath. The scale of the increase is revealed in a BBC investigation (must credit). Figures from 40 UK police forces revealed thefts UK had more than doubled from 3,957 in 2010 to 8,947 in 2012. But some parts of the country saw an even more significant rise. In Bedfordshire (up from 31 to 340) and South Yorkshire (up from 15 to 177) thefts increased more than ten-fold. And they more than tripled across Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Leicestershire during the same period. Dyfed-Powys in Wales has seen a 27-fold increase from just 2 thefts in 2010 to 55 in 2012. Catalytic converters reduce poisonous gases from the vehicle's exhaust system. James Goodson, a senior analyst with British Transport Police, says rises in the global price of platinum have fuelled the illegal trade. He said: "We've seen that in the past metals such as platinum and palladium are affected by the changes in the market. That would be reflected at scrap metal dealer level by the dealer offering a better price for that material. We've identified that when there are increases in the price of these metals and materials then we often see an increase in levels of theft reported to us. Det Supt Alison Evans, national co-ordinator for the National Metal Theft Task Force, said organised criminals were behind the increases in theft: "We have had depots and fleets being hit, and that suggests a level of pre-planning that isn't involved in your spontaneous type of offending." She added: "We know from our intelligence from the arrests we've made that most of the people we have arrested are UK residents. There is an element of Eastern European involvement but a lot of these people are people who trawl around the country in order to attack particular locations that have been identified as vulnerable. Det Supt Evans said: "Catalytic converters can be processed through some scrap metal dealers, but they need to have a particular piece of equipment to be able to do that. " In another twist, police say some catalytic converters are exported directly in containers to emerging economies where they are either reused or broken down. Easy target: Police say 4x4 vehicles like this Nissan X-Trail are particularly at risk because they are easy for crooks to crawl underneath New laws that came into force on 1 October banned cash payments for scrap metal with the aim of making it easier to trace people selling stolen metal. Among the victims are Jonathan Elvidge whose fleet of delivery vans was targeted by thieves just before Christmas 2011. Fifteen of his vehicles were stripped of their catalytic converters when his depot was raided one night. Mr Elvidge said the thief managed to saw through and remove all 15 catalytic converters within 45 minutes: "The cost to the business was significant. I mean keeping the vehicles on hire and bringing in new vehicles would have cost us £15,000 to £20,000. But he stressed: "The real cost is the lost revenue in the stores, which we estimate will be in excess of £100,000. So the real risk to the business, was going out of business. Up to 600 jobs were put at risk by the thefts, he added. Modern cars are fitted with catalytic converters to reduce harmful emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. They contain a ceramic honeycombed core coated with metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium. The metals act as catalysts and convert the harmful gases into water vapour and less harmful emissions. A Department of Transport spokesman said it was not illegal to drive without a catalytic converter but you could be stopped by the police and prosecuted for breaking the law on harmful emissions. Most vehicles will also fail an MoT test without a catalytic converter. The police and AA say that to help foil the thieves, catalytic converters can be uniquely marked in acid with a serial number. Motorists are advised to keep their cars in garages or park in well-lit areas. Most converters are bolted on - but they can also be welded. Firms with fleets are advised to obstruct access to high vehicles by parking cars with lower ground clearance round them and to install CCTV cameras.