Corsa Cannibalism: What is it and why are Vauxhall Corsas targeted?

Corsa cannibalism is the name given to the act of smashing a car window, popping the bonnet and stealing the bonnet, bumper, headlights and other vital parts.

It has been taking place all over the UK for years, and this latest spate in Sheffield and the surrounding area is just one of many.

Recent targets have been in Oughtibridge, Middlewood and Deepcar, with some of the cars having ‘S2 Crew’ writting on the windscreens leading to suspicions that one group may be behind it.

The latest case The Star has been made aware of is that of Carli Ford, who lives in Hoyland and takes her children to school in Sheffield.

Ms Ford said: “I was leaving my house to take my children to school and I noticed that the passenger window of my car had been smashed. I was annoyed but thought I could still drive my car to take the kids.

“When I got closer I saw that the car had been ripped apart, with the bumper, headlights, registration plate and the ECU all taken.

“I was devastated. This is not just a car to me, it is my livelihood.

“I managed to get my kids to school by asking my friend to take them and once they had gone I just broke down. I didn’t know what to do.

“I work as a care assistant in Rotherham and I need my car to get there after I have taken my children to school.”

Carli spoke to her insurer but is not sure what is going to happen as she has to wait for them to file a report on the damage. However she has been told it is unlikely her car will be fixable. She has also been in touch with the police.

“The police were lovely, but all they did was give me an incident number,” she said. “I don’t feel safe now.

“The people who do this are disgusting. They clearly don’t care about the impact it has on people.”

The phenomenon known as Corsa cannibalism began in 2013. It earned its name after more than 500 Corsas had parts removed in Bedfordshire.

Vauxhall has denied rumours that it is anything to do with how the cars are designed, and has instead said the reason its cars seemed to be the most targeted is simply because of their popularity meaning there are more on the roads to steal from.

The company also highlighted the fact that the cars were especially popular with younger drivers who are more likely to be involved in crashes, which often cause damage to the front end of their vehicle.

A petition has been set up in Sheffield calling for a ‘proper investigation’ into the Corsa cannibalism. So far it has more than 300 signatures.