Five arrested in connection with Northamptonshire “chop shop”

Five people have been arrested in connection with stolen vehicles being taken apart in a Northamptonshire “chop shop”.

The five men – aged 21, 35, 37, 40 and 52, were arrested on Friday, September 29, at a unit in Loddington Road in Cransley, near Kettering, after they were suspected to be involved in vehicle crime.

Last week, vehicles and/or parts of vehicles from Nottingham, Surrey, London, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire were recovered after being stolen via keyless entry, with evidence to suggest they were allegedly being taken apart inside the Loddington Road unit.

This unit is one of a number of legitimate units in the location and it is thought that it had only been rented for a short period of time without the landlord or other businesses owners having knowledge of what it was allegedly being used for.

All five men, from Corby and Kettering, have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Advice for reducing the risk of keyless car theft:

• Always keep the fobs for keyless entry cars in a faraday pouch overnight – the Defender Signal Blocker - RFID Faraday Pouch is a police-approved product and costs around £6 for two
• Store the pouch and all house keys well away from your front door
• Review physical security measures, including using a steering lock on the vehicle
• Consider installing home CCTV and/or a smart doorbell
• If you can, park your car in a secure garage, or a behind a secure gate if you park your car on a driveway
• Make sure your car is parked under good lighting – this means potential offenders can be easily seen, increasing the chances of putting them off trying to steal your car, and of them being caught if they do

Any suspicious activity which may relate to keyless vehicle thefts should be reported by calling Northamptonshire Police on 101. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress or life could be at risk.

If you’d like advice on preventing vehicle theft, please email [email protected]

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