Four vehicles in an Edinburgh neighbourhood were apparently targeted by a 'gang of thieves' armed with an 'electric saw'.
The worrying scenes unfolded in Saughton on Sunday night with concerned locals taking to social media to warn of the group's presence in the area, with police later arriving.
One eye witness said a group of three or four people were driving and walking around the Whitson Way area late at night with tools and reportedly removed catalytic converters from multiple vehicles.
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The resident also reported seeing the group armed with an electric saw and jacks ready to pounce on marked cars on the street around 10pm at night on January 8.
Speaking anonymously, they said: "Around 9:40pm three men in balaclavas in a black Audi drove alongside a vehicle parked on our street. Two got out and one was underneath the car. One seemed to be keeping a look-out for them.
"They had an electric saw and jacks and they must have known what they were doing as they were in and out within five minutes. The police came around 10.25pm and said the same people had hit the car on our street.
"They also said another one further down the street had been targeted and four in total that night. This is actually the third incident like this in the last year or so."
Another post in a local group warned residents of the gang, with several suggesting the thieves were targeting catalytic converters on specific cars. Another vehicle was reportedly seen in the area with several people wearing balaclavas.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called to Whitson Road, Edinburgh around 9.40pm on Sunday, 8 January, 2023 to reports of parts being stolen from cars.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
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