A man who stole catalytic converters from vehicles in the Tonbridge area has been jailed.

Ionut Iorgoiu, 23, from Luton in Bedfordshire, appeared before Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, and was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles.

Iorgoiu was forensically linked to a yard in Branbridges Road, East Peckham, where it had been reported that catalytic converters had been taken from vehicles there in June. A mobile phone was found at the scene which was linked to Iorgoiu.

On Tuesday, July 2, Iorgoiu was stopped in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and was arrested and transferred to Kent. He was interviewed and later charged with conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles. The three catalytic converters were worth a total of £9,000.

DC Steve Hobbs from Kent Police’s burglary and vehicle crime team said: "Catalytic converters are a popular target for thieves because of the valuable metal they contain. To reduce the risk of being a victim of this type of theft, vehicle owners should try to keep their vehicle in a garage whenever possible, or park in busy, well-lit areas. You could also security mark and register the metal shell of the converter so if it stolen and recovered, it will be easier to trace it back to your vehicle. Catalytic converter theft can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to vehicles, and we have experienced similar offences in Sevenoaks and Swanley recently, and people who commit this offence run the risk of being caught and imprisoned."