Motorists have been warned that thieves are stripping parked cars of valuable vehicle parts such as headlights, bumpers, grilles, wing mirrors and sensors.
According to data from Tracker Network UK, car cannibal attacks are becoming more widespread across the UK and can leave motorist facing expensive repairs, vehicle recovery costs and lengthy delays getting back on the road.
It says the scale of the problem is underlined by the fact that Tracker and the UK police uncovered 78 illegal chop shops last year compared to two in 2020.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, said: “Car parts have become more expensive and harder to source, while people are keeping their vehicles for longer, with 43% of vehicles on UK roads now over 10 years old. This is creating a lucrative market for criminals trading in stolen parts.
“Supply chains have faced repeated disruption, from factory closures during the Covid pandemic to the impact of the war in Ukraine, a major producer of automotive components such as wiring harnesses. Wider global instability, including the conflict in Iran, can also put pressure on trade routes and energy costs. These pressures make stolen parts more valuable to organised criminals, who are exploiting demand by stealing vehicles and stripping them for parts to sell on the black market.
“The speed and skill involved in stripping vehicles, often using specialist tools, points to organised criminal activity. Stealing parts rather than entire vehicles is attractive to thieves. It is quick, there is no vehicle to transport or hide and once the parts enter the second-hand market, they can be difficult to trace.”
He concluded: “No vehicle is immune. While premium brands make the headlines, most of the stolen cars Tracker recovered in 2025 were worth £10,000–£20,000 and one in 10 was worth less than £10,000. Vans are targeted too, both for parts and for the tools inside.
“While drivers cannot eliminate the risk entirely, they can make life harder for thieves. Restricting access to vulnerable parts and increasing the chances of being seen could encourage criminals to move on to an easier target.”
