Essex Police says it recovers record £27m in stolen vehicles

More than 700 stolen vehicles with a value of £27m have been recovered in the past 12 months, Essex Police said.

In one week alone the force retrieved cars worth £1m hidden in shipping containers, including a Ferrari and Range Rover belonging to Premier League footballers.

The size of last year's haul was a record for the force, it said.

Since 2021, its specialist intelligence unit says more than 1,800 vehicles worth £58.5m have been recovered.

There was also a trend of thieves targeting family cars, the force said.

Three people were arrested following a warrant in Canvey Island in May, when cars worth £640,000 were found and seized.

One family in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, were told their Range Rover had been stolen to order bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Officers said they also investigated 106 so-called "chop shops", where stolen cars were stripped of their parts or given false identities.

PC Paul Gerrish, from the force's stolen vehicle intelligence unit, said: "We are continuing to dismantle the organised criminal networks behind these thefts."

The force said it was working with manufacturers to improve vehicle security and also working with the public on securing their cars.

PC Phil Pentelow urged people to learn about their car's vulnerabilities and safety devices.

"However, the biggest vulnerability is leaving your car unlocked. Double lock your car and check it. We see CCTV of thefts where thieves try the car door and it's unlocked," he said.

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