West Midlands Police have discovered stolen cars alongside a collection of other suspected stolen car parts following a search of a suspected chop shop in Dudley.

Police made the find at an industrial unit on Plant Street, Wordsley on Monday (26 February) when officers from our Brierley Hill neighbourhood team conducted an emergency warrant and discovered a BMW stolen during a house burglary in Kingswinford on 16 February. The BMW had been stripped of its engine and other parts.

A number of other stripped-down cars believed to be stolen were also found alongside various parts suspected of being stripped from other stolen vehicles. Specialist forensic officers examined the scene and enquiries into the thefts are continuing.

Neighbourhood Policing Manager Inspector Michelle Allen said: “We know that vehicle crime has a distressing and disruptive impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

“We’re committed to tackling the issue and will follow lines of enquiry to identify and arrest offenders. That includes clamping down on those involved in chop shops and the illegal trade in spare parts.

“Car thieves know they can profit from these operations so I’d urge anyone who suspects a chop shop is operating near them to inform us so we can cut off these lines of business.”

• Tell-tale signs of a chop shop could include:
• Noise coming from units late at night or in the early hours of the morning;
• Vehicles that look out of place going in to workshops and not coming back out;
• Large amounts of car parts being stored, sometimes in odd places such as gardens;
• Shipping containers in unusual locations; Expensive items such as engines and gearboxes outside workshops;
• High value vehicles in and around workshops/units where they just don’t fit in

To report suspicions please contact West Midlands Police either via Live Chat on their website or by calling 101 anytime. They also offer guidance and advice to people on steps they can take to keep their vehicles safe and urge all drivers to visit the Stealer Street website, which has lots of advice on how people can reduce the risk of becoming a victim of car crime.