Undeterred by a seemingly overstretched or uninterested police force, thieves have been having a field day in Birmingham City Centre with a BBC investigation revealing there were at least 10 incidents of cars being stripped for parts in the Digbeth area alone in January.
But the thefts haven’t just been going on this year.
One motorist, Charaya White, found parts from her Citroen C1 were scavenged at New Canal Street car park last year while attending a concert last May and has spoken to the BBC about the ordeal.
"A lot of people have said 'it's just a car', but I rely on my car a lot," Ms White said.
"I was in the process of trying to buy a house, but because my car had been stolen and was a write off, I was in the position between choosing my car or buying a house. If I was to take out new credit, it would affect my credit score."
Scores of other motorists have taken to Twitter and Facebook to share their stories of cars being stripped in Birmingham, with one woman describing how her daughter's car lost its bonnet while parked on a street in Digbeth.
The thieves are entry level but popular, smaller cars, opposed to the usual high end SUVs.
Another victim, Meg Matthews, said she had booked a day's parking while she went to London on a train with a friend.
She told the BBC; "I sat down and shut my door, I heard glass shatter, looked to the side of me and my window was completely smashed. That's when I looked forward and realised my bonnet was missing."
She called the police straight away but was told they could not send anyone out to see her.
"I was then stuck in my car for at least half an hour until my friend could actually come and get me. I was terrified, I couldn't move," she said.
Last year, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said it was aware of a number of car-part thefts in the West Midlands and Scotland but said it was not something forces were seeing as a significant emerging trend nationally.
An NPCC spokesperson said: "We encourage everyone to use reputable garages to reduce the risk of stolen parts being used in your vehicle. Wherever possible, try to park your vehicle where it will be visible. Dark and secluded areas can be attractive to thieves.
"If you are using a car park, we encourage use of those which have the safer parking status Park Mark (The Safer Parking Scheme), which is awarded to parking facilities that have met the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the police and are regularly assessed to ensure their accreditation."
