Van owners are being warned to be vigilant after a spate of catalytic converter thefts.
Police said there have been eight reported incidents since the beginning of March across East Lancashire including Accrington.
In each instance the Mercedes Vitto and Sprinter vans have been targeted overnight.
Offenders have unscrewed the device from underneath the vehicle and made off undetected.
PC Vicky Beverley said: “This spate of thefts is hitting the victims hard, leaving them without transport and having to claim on their insurance for the costly replacement of the stolen parts.
“Motorists should be aware that the removal of the catalytic converter takes a matter of minutes by the offender who knows how to do it and does not create much noise. I would urge residents to take precautions such as buying a catalytic converter lock to protect against such thefts.
“These are inexpensive and come with a registration kit to ensure that the stolen item can be easily traced, deterring potential thieves from committing the crime in the first place.”
Anyone with information call police on 101.
