Vauxhall owners are finding their superminis stripped of parts while parked outside their homes

Vauxhall drivers have been warned after thieves cannibalized Corsa models in the middle of the night while owners slept at home.

Distressed guards awoke to find their superminis ripped apart by devious criminals, with a Scottish mother discovering the entire front of her car had been removed.

Hayley Grady, 38, says she now feels ‘unsafe’ at her home in Ratho, Edinburgh, after the thieves struck in the early hours of Friday morning.

Her husband Andrew, also 38, woke up at 6.45am today to find their Vauxhall Corsa’s windows smashed and body panels removed, likely to be sold for parts, leaving Hayley unable to get to work .

Christ Petrie, from Loanhead, Midlothian, also discovered his car was targeted when he got up on Friday morning

The devastated Hayley, who works in production for a clothing company, uses the car to take her oldest son, who has Crohn’s disease, to the hospital.

Thieves pocket a small portion of a car’s value after stealing it

Criminals say they typically get their hands on just 1.25 percent of the market price of a stolen vehicle, and at best hope to make 5 percent of what it’s really worth, according to a report last year.

Thieves explained that their payment for stealing a car worth up to £20,000 on the second-hand market – such as a Ford Focus or Nissan Qashqai – would only be around £250, although some admitted to stealing as many as 95 engines a week.

The shocking revelation from thieves interviewed as part of the investigation will make reading difficult for many who have likely endured tremendous suffering after becoming victims of these types of crimes.

She destroyed the vicious Corsa Cannibals for destroying it and said she couldn’t get to work now.

Hayley said: ‘We went to bed around midnight, my husband got up this morning to go to work around 6:45am, the whole front of the car is completely gone.

‘No one from the neighbours, no one heard anything. It makes me sick that they were so close to the houses, it makes me feel unsafe.

‘Our eldest son has Crohn’s disease, we need the car to get to the hospital.

“It makes us so angry to think that someone could just come and do that, they don’t care what impact they have on people’s lives.

“I want people to know that because we are a small village, it is very quiet at night.

‘Who says they won’t come back? This criminally inclined person clearly doesn’t care.

‘It goes on and on. They probably laugh because they know they can get away with it. I think it’s 100 percent Corsa Cannibals.

“Police seriously need to put more resources into this case as these criminals are clearly running around them.”

Ms Grady said she was unable to get to work because of the damage, which involved removing the front bumper and hood lid

The criminals also smashed the windows of the car, presumably to gain access to the inside

Mr Petrie said whoever attacked his car ‘knows what they are doing’ and blamed ‘Corsa Cannibals’

Chris Petrie, 26, from Loanhead, Midlothian, also had his 2019 Corsa Griffin dismantled last night.

Transportation worker Chris said the car was parked 30 seconds from his house, but he woke up to find the windshields smashed and the entire front part taken apart.

He said: ‘They are obviously very quiet because none of my neighbors, or dogs, heard anything and they knew exactly what they were doing.

“I think it’s these Corsa Cannibals. Whoever did it knows what they’re doing.

“They dismantle the entire front, which is no easy task and it’s done meticulously, all unscrewed when left lying on the road.

“They took my front plates, so I don’t know what they’re doing with them.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: ‘Police are investigating the theft of car parts from two vehicles in Ratho, Edinburgh and Loanhead, Midlothian.

The first incident was reported to police at around 07:10 on Friday 6th January 2023 and took place in Wilkie View, Ratho, Edinburgh.

“The second incident happened recently in Park Crescent, Loanhead and was reported this morning.

“Investigations into both thefts are at a very early stage.”