London's Bizarre Crime Wave: Thieves Target Car Parcel Shelves

A bizarre and frustrating new crime wave is sweeping across London, where thieves are systematically targeting vehicles to steal their parcel shelves. This isn't about smash-and-grab robberies for valuables; instead, it's a "steal-to-order" operation that's becoming a widespread problem for drivers in a number of upscale neighborhoods including Primrose Hill, Kentish Town, and Highgate.

The crime is simple: criminals smash a car's rear window, take only the parcel shelf, and leave everything else untouched. These shelves, often overlooked, are then sold on secondhand websites like eBay for up to £150, a small fraction of their original replacement cost.

Victims are left with a bill of several hundred pounds to replace both the smashed window and the missing shelf. One Highgate resident whose Mercedes was targeted described the absurdity of the situation: "I got a notification to my phone saying that my car had been broken into. They smashed the windscreen and only took the parcel shelf." He added that his garage confirmed the "steal-to-order" nature of the thefts, noting that they had multiple cars of the same model with the exact same issue.

The thieves are reportedly using rental bikes for their quick heists, making it easy to smash a window and escape with the shelf. The crime is not specific to any car brand, with victims reporting similar incidents involving Hyundais, Minis, Jaguars, and Vauxhalls. In a desperate attempt to protect their property, Londoners are now resorting to stashing their parcel shelves indoors overnight to deter the thieves.

The Metropolitan Police has acknowledged the rise of this unusual crime and is urging the public to take precautions. On their online platform, MetEngage, they've advised car owners to park in well-lit, open spaces or in secure garages. The police are now analyzing data to identify "hotspot" areas and have deployed "high-visibility patrols." This trend highlights how criminals are adapting their tactics to exploit the demand for specific car parts in the online secondhand market.

As police continue to investigate, this new crime wave is a costly and unsettling problem for London's drivers, who must now protect even the most mundane parts of their vehicles from a new breed of opportunistic thieves.