The stunned Scots owner of a stolen BMW said today “miracles do happen” after his prized motor was traced just five miles from his home.
Lanarkshire Live told how the 66-year-old bravely tried to chase down a thief who made off in his £15,000 convertible after he left the engine running to defrost the frozen car parked in his driveway.
The black BMW 4 series convertible was stolen from Glen Farg, East Kilbride at around 1.20pm on Friday, January 3.
Just five days later, cops traced the car to a residential street in Blantyre – five miles from the owner’s home.
The car was found through BMW’s SOS function which pinpoints the vehicle’s location through its GPS system.
The delighted owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got the phone call from the police last night.
“They said they had good news for me, they’d found my car and said I could come and pick it up and they’ll do the forensic tests at my house. There were a few frantic calls to get the insurance policy reinstated!
“I actually had the app where you can track the car on my phone but I didn’t realise that was something you could do so I hadn’t registered the vehicle myself, but BMW were able ping the SOS system for the police.”
As temperatures dropped last week, the owner had left the car engine running while leaving it to thaw when an opportunist thief jumped inside the vehicle and made off.
The owner bravely attempted to stop the perpetrator by grabbing the side of the bonnet, slamming his hand on the windscreen and running after his precious £15,000 motor which had a private registration plate and a distinctive chrome finish.
These thefts, called ‘frostings’, can happen within seconds of people leaving their cars unattended and officers are urging residents to keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles but, more importantly, to remain inside your vehicle when it defrosting or switched on.
Many insurers will not pay claims if a vehicle is stolen in this way, even if it is in a driveway.
The owner added: “The police are still investigating. They found the car parked up in a cul-de-sac in Stuart Avenue in Blantyre near a block of flats. It had at least a day’s worth of frost on it. And, funnily enough, along with two pairs of designer sunglasses – one of which was the Police brand – my scraper was gone!
“Where it was found was just five miles from my house – only ten minutes by car. The officers said sometimes car thieves leave a vehicle in a location for a week or so to see if it’s going to be picked up and if it’s not tracked they’ll break it up for parts. They’re going to swab it for any DNA today.
“It couldn’t have done any harm that the Lanarkshire Live article included a photograph of the car which may have deterred them. It’s nice to have a good outcome, I thought it was a goner. To get a call last night saying it wasn’t even damaged – it’s new year miracle.
“I’m looking forward to driving around in the summer with the roof down and I’ll definitely be more cautious from now on and defrost while I’m sitting in the car.”
A police spokesperson said: “The car was recovered and enquiries are ongoing.”
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