How they make cars 'disappear'

Gangs of thieves are using a whole range of techniques to steal cars. Det Ch Insp Ryan says: "There are so many scams that, as soon as we close one, the thieves find another one the next day."

RINGING

This is when a thief has already stolen a vehicle but needs to re-register it. The thief pays a quick visit to a salvage yard and buys a wreck, sometimes for as little as £50. Details of the wreck are then sent off to the DVLA, saying that it has been salvaged and re-built. A new logbook is sent out and the stolen car now appears legitimate - and can be sold on. The new owner will probably have no idea he or she is driving a stolen car.

CLONING

The thief has a brand new stolen vehicle and is looking to make it appear legitimate.

All he has to do is spot someone driving around in a similar car, take down their registration number down and find out where they live. He then writes to vehicle registration, saying he has moved house but has lost the logbook.

A new book is sent to the bogus address and the thief can now sell the car on. There will be two cars with the same registration plates and identities but the thief doesn't care.

Police say there are "accommodation addresses" in every postcode in London, where as many as 80 vehicles are registered. Detectives say that, in some cases, the same car has been cloned up to 10 times. One police officer said: "This is one of the main forms of theft because it involves so little work."

LEASING

The thief goes to Companies House, searches through some records and obtains details of a firm with a history of leasing vehicles.

He then buys some headed notepaper and business cards, and uses a bogus address for the company.

Thieves visit car showrooms in the UK, leasing cars in the company name. They make one initial payment and then the vehicle is shipped abroad before anyone knows the theft has taken place. Of course, no further payments are made to the leasing company. Police call this type of theft "buzzing".

INTERNET

The thief telephones a car showroom in Germany, says he wants to do a credit check on a specific car, and asks for the Vehicle Identification Number.

If the dealer agrees, the thief can then contact the manufacturer and request a "Certificate of Conformity" - used to prove to authorities in Britain that the car doesn't need altering in order to import.

The manufacturer happily sends on the certificate. and the thief now has possession of registration details. He can go out and steal a car parked in someone's driveway.