A dramatic police pursuit led to a road crash and the arrest of a gang allegedly involved in an epidemic of catalytic converter thefts from cars across Richmond and Kingston.

Thefts of the components, which filter out dangerous gases from exhaust emissions, have doubled in a year with organised gangs targeting vehicles on driveways and car parks.

Once stolen, the vehicles are undriveable, which means victims not only face big bills to have them replaced, but they can also be left stranded.

This morning the police revealed that they received multiple calls to catalytic converter thefts across Richmond and Kingston last night at around 10.30pm.

The police tweeted: "Officers found matching car driving erratically and signalled to stop. A pursuit followed towards Wandsworth, where vehicle crashed.

"A search of the area led to three males arrested for: Failing to stop; theft of motor vehicle; theft from motor vehicle; possession of an offensive weapon."

The police said the vehicle being used is believed to have been stolen and several false number plates were found.

The three men remain in custody and an investigation is ongoing.

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Figures published by Which? suggest that thefts of the devices have risen by 104per cent in a year.

It said the crime is potentially extremely lucrative with a single scrap catalytic converter currently fetching as much as £400.

The attraction is that they contain rare metals such as Rhodium, which has risen some six-fold in price in a year to around £20,000 per ounce.

Which? said older hybrids, such as the previous generation of the Toyota Prius and Auris, and the Honda Jazz hybrid models are particularly at risk due to their higher concentration of precious metals.

People can try and protect their cars by fitting a Catloc, which generally costs around £200, but this is not always successful in preventing a theft.

The consumer group has heard from drivers who faced hefty repair quotes of upwards of £1,200, with a quarter of owners surveyed (27%) not notifying their insurer and settling their repair bill privately. In some cases an insurer will write off an older car rather than pay for a repair.