SHOCKING photos show what was left of a stolen Toyota after it was stripped by “car cannibals”.
Police discovered the car ripped to shreds last week – before finding the “thief” hiding nearby.
X/CMPGShocking pics show stolen Toyota stripped by ‘car cannibals’[/caption]
X/CMPGCops found the ‘thief’ hiding in a bush[/caption]
Officers say they found the suspected criminal hiding in a bush because they didn’t put their phone on silent.
Cops have now shamed him online by posting about the embarrassing blunder.
A spokesperson for Central Motorway Police Group said: “We have responded to a report of a vehicle being stripped of parts.
“Upon arrival we located the stolen vehicle, a cloned van and also arrested one person, after he decided to hide in the bushes without putting his phone on silent!”
Along with the statement they shared four photos which showed the white Toyota completely torn apart.
Snaps show parts strewn across a front garden of a home while the gutted vehicle was towed away.
Locals rushed to the comments to give their opinion on the crime.
One person wrote: This cracked me up. I wish I’d seen his face when his phone rang!! Good work team.”
Another joked: “Few around West Yorkshire won’t be happy their cheap car parts for their stolen or cloned cars aren’t going to be delivered.”
A third added: “You couldn’t make this up could you? Excellent work officers. Well done.”
It comes after a stash of stolen luxury cars were discovered just moments before being shipped by crooks.
The four SUVs – including an orange Jeep Wrangler worth roughly £50,000 and a blue Toyota Rav 4 valued at around £40,000 – were found by police in Essex on December 29.
Essex Police said the four vehicles, which had recently been stolen from London, were among 240 that they had managed to retrieve from criminals over the past year.
And they believe the value of all the motors they have recovered from over 60 containers during 2023 was in excess of £13million.