THE escalating price of scrap metal is making thieves target vital parts from parked cars.

Mum Janet Whelan returned to her car at Asda supermarket in Radcliffe to find thieves had stolen her 4x4's catalytic converter.

She was shopping with her children and left her Land Rover Freelander in a quiet part of the car park. She returned to find the exhaust on the ground.

She was forced to walk home from the supermarket with her children, aged three and 18 months. Her husband, Andrew, returned a few hours later to collect the car.

Mrs Whelan said: "I am very shocked that someone would do this. I left my car at the side of the supermarket so that it didn't get scratched, but I didn't think about people stealing parts from it.

"I assume they chose my car because it's a 4x4 and would be easier to get under. I really can't believe that this has happened."

One car dealership, which has garages in Greater Manchester, has beefed up security after thieves targeted vehicles parked on one of its forecourts.

Suzuki car dealer Colin Appleyard has had to resort to employing night security guards in a bid to overcome a series of overnight thefts of catalytic converters from cars on the forecourt.

Between July and August this year, Greater Manchester Police recorded 87 incidents in which vehicles had exhausts and catalytic converters removed. In the last fortnight, seven Nissan Micras have been stolen in Rochdale for their converters.

The converters - which clean car exhaust gases - fetch up to £150 a time at scrap metal merchants.

The average converter contains one or two grams of three precious metals - platinum, palladium and rhodium. International prices of these metals have risen by 67 per cent, 200 per cent and 600 per cent respectively over the past three years.

A GMP spokesman said: "The bulk of the thefts targeted vans, and vans parked at auction houses in particular.

"As with all vehicle crime, we want to remind owners that their vehicles should be secured with an immobiliser, alarm or tracking device and should always be kept locked, even if they're only left unattended for a few seconds.

"We would also advise businesses to ensure vehicles are kept in secure areas."