A Porsche was one of 200 vehicles worth £1.8m seized by police during a crackdown on professional car thieves.

West Midlands Police launched a region-wide campaign to combat car crime after seeing a 35 per cent rise in thefts.

Alarming figures shows there were 11,990 vehicle thefts in 2021 – rising to 16,232 in 2023.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, agreed a five-figure sum to crackdown on criminal gangs behind the thefts.

Since May last year police have seized over 200 stolen vehicles from criminals worth £1.8million under Operation Vantor.

During one 16-day blitz, a total of 27 stolen vehicles worth a combined total of £527,250 were recovered.

Among the stolen cars seized included a Porsche 911 GT3 worth £140,000.

Cops also recovered a £169,000 black Bentley Bentayga SUV and a modified Land Rover Defender worth around £90,000.

Other luxury cars seized included a BMW M3 worth £80,000 and a VW Golf GTI worth £30,000.

Mr Foster said: "The rise in vehicle theft across the West Midlands is deeply concerning, and I'm committed to taking decisive action to protect our communities."

"This substantial investment provides West Midlands Police with the resources they need to disrupt these criminal networks, recover stolen vehicles, and bring offenders to justice."

"The recent seizures are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers, and I'm confident that this increased focus will make a real difference in tackling this issue."

Superintendent Gareth Mason, Head of West Midlands Police's Roads Policing Unit, added: "We are seeing positive results from this increased investment and are determined to continue our efforts to drive down vehicle crime."

"The recovery of these high-value vehicles demonstrates our commitment to pursuing offenders and disrupting their illicit activities. "

"We encourage residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to us."