Garages in North Walsham are doing their bit to stop the thefts of catalytic converters in the area.

Following a spate of thefts last month in Alby, police in the town have purchased several marking kits and handed them out to garages in the local area who will mark people's cars for free.

PC Paul Gwynn, who has organised the project, said: 'While this isn't a huge problem in the local area at the moment, we're keen to do what we can to nip this issue in the bud and prevent it from happening more in the future. Other rural parts of the county have seen a rise in thefts like this.

'We're really grateful to the garages involved for helping out with this. We understand that having the kits in garages means it's easier for more car owners to access the service.'

Thieves target catalytic converters because they contain rhodium and platinum which fetch a good price from scrap dealers.

And last month a trio of motor homes parked at Downtide Marine on the Cromer to Aylsham Road at Alby were targeted overnight on March 21-22.

The kits will allow the car's registration number to be etched on to the catalytic converter to identify it if it is ever stolen and found in a scrap yard.

Everyone whose converter is marked is also given a sticker to display in their car window to deter thieves even more.

The first garage offering the service is MW Motor Services on Cornish Way.

? Anyone who would like their catalytic converter marked should contact the garage directly on 01692 500484. The service is available from Tuesday (April 10) till June 29.

? Anyone with information about the raids should contact police by calling 101.