Clubs can help stem the classic car crimewave

Reading your news story about the ‘Land Rover crimewave’ (20 April) the recent similar thefts of various Fords and other classics is effectively here to stay and we have to accept it. The rising values and the ease at which any classic can be stolen has become the alternative for some thieves who have found the modern vehicles to much hassle to overcome the security systems. The cloning too has become more difficult too unlike the classic where an identity can be changed within an hour of work with a donor vehicle. If of course it is not a ‘chop shop’ operation.

Owners who are victims of these thefts will know the police will not be carrying out any investigations and their cherished classic is treated like any other vehicle. A report is made, a Crime Reference Number is issued and you are advised to contact your insurance company. That is it, nothing more, and that’s something many owners find hard to understand.

I believe it has come to a point where classic car clubs and insurers need to get together and perhaps form their own intelligence/investigation and information-collating bureau that could stem the number of vehicles being stolen. Certainly something constructive needs to be organised or we are just going to be reading stories such as these Land Rover thefts more frequently. Richard Heritage, member International Association of Automobile Theft Investigators (www.iaati.org.uk)