8:42 am, September 10, 2026
Police have arrested ten men after a suspected chop shop containing more than 80 cars and vans was discovered on an Essex industrial estate.
Officers in Grays uncovered the illicit operation after a member of the public reported that his car had been stolen.
The man had travelled from Oxfordshire after tracking his vehicle to the industrial estate, at which point he called the police.
Officers attended the scene, where they found six workers and dozens of suspicious vehicles and piles of car parts.
The group were arrested at the site, along with four other men who arrived at the scene a short time later.
Police have since confirmed that four of the vehicles found at the site had been stolen, with investigations now underway to identify the owners of the rest of the vehicles.
Nine of the ten men arrested have been released on bail while the investigation continues. No further action will be taken against the tenth man.
PC Ellie Hawkins, of Thurrock Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: ‘The victim of the original theft did some good detective work and then did the sensible thing in contacting us rather than trying to retrieve the car himself.
‘We found more than 80 vehicles at the site and the number of people working there shows this is a significant operation.
‘It appears that some of the workers are also living there in pretty poor conditions, so we have done relevant safeguarding checks.
‘What started off as a single theft has developed into a larger investigation that our Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit is now progressing.’
Car Dealer has reported on a number of similar ‘chop shops’ which have been closed down across the country over recent years.
The term is used to describe an area where stolen cars are taken apart so that their parts can be sold separately.
Police forces across the UK recently recovered more than £3.4m worth of stolen vehicles and car parts after dismantling 10 illegal sites, following similar discoveries in Surrey, Rotherham, Essex and Norfolk.
