Concern after thieves target cars parked at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Bosses at Chesterfield Royal Hospital say they are taking a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the theft of cataytic converters from cars parked at the site.
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Three staff vehicles were targeted by thieves during the day of Thursday, April 29 and the hospital trust is working with police to track down those responsible.

Derbyshire police has recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of catalytic converter theft, and officers have issued guidance on how people can avoid becoming a victim of the crime.

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A spokesperson for Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: “We take a zero tolerance approach to theft at this hospital and are working very closely with police to catch the individuals responsible and bring them to justice.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital is taking a 'zero tolerance approach' after the recent thefts of catalytic converters from staff.Chesterfield Royal Hospital is taking a 'zero tolerance approach' after the recent thefts of catalytic converters from staff.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital is taking a 'zero tolerance approach' after the recent thefts of catalytic converters from staff.

"Our colleagues who have been impacted by these thieves were here to help people and simply trying to get home after a hard day at work; we are supporting them in reporting this matter to police.

“We have recently installed enhanced digital cameras and have handed over detailed images from the incident to police to help them as part of their investigations, there are also regular security patrols of all of our car parks day and night.

"We would like to ask anyone who sees anything suspicious on our site to contact police or our security team on 01246 513646.”

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A Derbyshire police spokesperson said: "A Lexus, a Honda and a Mitsubishi were targeted sometime between 7am and 9.30pm on Thursday, April 29 and we would appeal for anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in the area to contact us on 101, quoting reference 21*235774.

“Over recent weeks we have been working to raise awareness of catalytic converter thefts and the steps motorists can take to protect their vehicles.”

These measures include:

*If possible, park in a garage or in a position where it would be difficult to access the underside of the vehicle near the exhaust;

*Consider marking the catalytic converter with a serial number;

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*Consider installing protective coverings over the converter;

*Install alarms and CCTV;

*Good quality lighting near to your vehicle will improve natural surveillance and can act as a deterrent.

Officers say the cars that are most often targeted are hybrid vehicles, as the catalytic converter is used less frequently, meaning they are worth more.

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