The charges relate to a series of alleged crimes between December 2025 and January 2026, where numerous catalytic converters were stolen from vehicles parked in St Albans, Welwyn Garden City and Watford. John Mongan, 38, from Avondale Mews in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been charged with:Theft from a motor vehicle (one count)Driving without third party insuranceHandling stolen goodsGoing equipped for stealingFraudulent use of a registration markBernard Mongan, 40, of Sperling Road in Tottenham, has been charged with:Driving without third party insuranceDriving otherwise than in accordance with licenseHandling stolen goodsGoing equipped for stealingFraudulent use of a registration markTheft from a motor vehicle (six counts)Michael Reilly, 29, of Abbey Close in Hackney, has been charged with:Handling stolen goodsGoing equipped for stealingTheft from a motor vehicle (seven counts)All three men are due to appear at Hatfield Magistrates' Court today. Detective Inspector Chris Parperi, from Watford’s Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We’re pleased to have secured numerous charges in connection with the recent thefts of catalytic converters in Watford, St Albans and Welwyn Garden City. “We have seen a rise in these types of thefts and we’re urging the public to take extra precautions to protect their vehicles and report any suspicious activity if they believe a crime is being committed.”Catalytic converters are often targeted by thieves due to the high-value metals they contain, and the fact they can be removed quickly and easily. Further crime prevention advice can be found on the Police.uk website.