‘POLICE DIDN’T CHECK FOR DAD’S STOLEN E-TYPE’
Daughter unhappy at Essex force’s response in the aftermath of the theft
‘Someone must have been watching the house, which is upsetting’
Acrestfallen Jaguar E-type owner is appealing to enthusiasts to help him locate his stolen vehicle after Essex police told him that they have no more leads to follow to investigate the crime.
Brazen thieves forced their way into John Walker’s locked garage at his home in Maylandsea, near Chelmsford, at some point in the early hours on 26 September to steal his 1971 Series 3 Coupé.
John is appealing for any information from anyone who may have spotted the blue V12 model in the event of the thieves attempting to sell the car. Its registration is HEA 19K but there’s a strong likelihood this will have been changed already.
John’s daughter, Monique, is encouraging anyone who may have seen the E-type to get in touch with her via email.
She says: ‘The police haven’t been very helpful at all. There is CCTV all around the village, but police have not checked it.
‘My father is 80 this year and has been a great collector of cars and bikes. This was one of his retirement policies because he doesn’t have a pension – but the car is very personal to him too. The fact someone must have been watching the house or knew the car was there – it was covered up and locked away – is really upsetting.’
Essex Police wrote to John, confirming there were no further enquiries they could make and would be closing the investigation.
Classic Car Weekly approcached Essex Police for a response to John’s concerns and for more information about the car, but it had not responded before this week’s issue went to press.
Ken German, communications director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), says that the area is being hit by a wave of thefts.
He says: ‘ We do have several active classic-car thieves operating in Essex and Kent at the moment.
‘Unfortunately, the fact is that the police would have investigated all the leads they have and have no further evidence to work with, although if there is access to CCTV footage this should certainly have been checked.’