Stolen vehicles including BMW discovered following search of suspected Dudley chop shop

Officer made the find at an industrial unit on Plant Street, Wordsley on Monday when officers from the Brierley Hill neighbourhood team conducted an emergency warrant and discovered a BMW stolen during a house burglary in Kingswinford on February 16.

Police say the BMW had been stripped of its engine and other parts.

A statement added: "A number of other stripped-down cars we believe to be stolen were also found alongside various parts suspected of being stripped from other stolen vehicles."

Specialist forensic officers have reportedly examined the scene and police enquiries into the thefts are continuing.

Neighbourhood Policing Manager Inspector Michelle Allen said: “We know that vehicle crime has a distressing and disruptive impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

“We’re committed to tackling the issue and will follow lines of enquiry to identify and arrest offenders. That includes clamping down on those involved in chop shops and the illegal trade in spare parts.

“Car thieves know they can profit from these operations so I’d urge anyone who suspects a chop shop is operating near them to inform us so we can cut off these lines of business.”

Tell-tale signs of a chop shop could include:

• Noise coming from units late at night or in the early hours of the morning;

• Vehicles that look out of place going in to workshops and not coming back out;

• Large amounts of car parts being stored, sometimes in odd places such as gardens;

• Shipping containers in unusual locations;

• Expensive items such as engines and gearboxes outside workshops;

• High value vehicles in and around workshops/units where they just don’t fit in