Police tracked a stolen car to an industrial estate in the Black Country and it led them to uncover a chop shop crammed with stolen vehicles and parts.

Officers went to the site off Station Drive, Brierley Hill at 10.15am on Thursday (10 Feb) following information a stolen Ford Fiesta was parked outside.

They found the Fiesta, stolen the previous day in Lye and arrested a man spotted running from the unit.

He tried blending in with customers at a nearby café but was quickly spotted and detained on suspicion of car theft. 

Inside the unit were bodyshells from several stolen cars, including another Fiesta stolen in Coventry on 3 February, a BMW taken in Wolverhampton the following day, and a Skoda Octavia stolen in Leicestershire on New Year’s Eve. 

Officers also recovered number plates from more stolen vehicles, cloned plates, and an array of parts they suspect have been ‘chopped’ from stolen cars.

A small cannabis production set up was also discovered at the unit.
 
A 34-year-old man has been bailed while police conduct further enquiries and forensically examine the recovered vehicle parts.

Vehicle theft has increased by 37 per cent in recent months and it’s thought many of the vehicles taken end up in chop shops where they are dismantled for parts. A for e spokesperson said:

“We’re urging anyone who suspects a unit or garage is handling stolen vehicles or acting as a chop shop to get in touch so we can take action. 

“Tell-tale signs of a chop shop could include noise coming from units late at night, large amounts of car parts being stored, shipping containers in unusual locations and expensive items such as engines and gearboxes outside workshops.

To report suspicions you can contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight or by calling 101 anytime. 

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.