A woman from Bury, Greater Manchester, U.K., found out the hard way why it’s a bad idea to go clubbing with a purse packed with everything of importance, from your driver’s license to the car keys, your cell phone and house keys.
Louisa Stevens went out at the weekend, dancing with friends. At one point, she noticed that her handbag had gone missing from the peg where she’d hung it up. She had a bouncer look for it but they had no luck, so she took a cab home. Only when she got there did she appreciate the magnitude of what happened.
Her car, a Range Rover she had bought 2 years back, was missing from the driveway. At first, she didn’t connect the two events (her bag going missing and her car being stolen), so she looked through CCTV footage for clues. That’s when she saw the most brazen car thief at work – while having fun with pals.
A woman in a short mini skirt, high heels and a blonde weave arrived at Louisa’s house in a taxi, accompanied by 4 or 5 other women. She casually walked up to the parked Range Rover and opened it, got inside and then came back out again, to get another friend.
In the eyes of the taxi driver, this was probably just a woman returning home to take her car. To Stevens, it was unbelievable that a car thief would have the gall to act this way.
Police have since recovered the car but Stevens needs the suspect apprehended or she loses her no-claims bonus. That’s why she released the surveillance footage to the Manchester Evening News.
“I came back from my holiday and met up with a few friends. A short night turned into a long night,” she says. “We went into Bury and had a bit of a dance. I had my day handbag with me, I don't normally go out with my car keys. I contacted police when I got home. Then I noticed my car was missing.”
“I watched the CCTV footage next morning. It was four or five girls. It is just one that gets in the car and drives off,” Stevens adds. She believes the woman stole her car on a drunken dare, or something of the kind.
Her car, a Range Rover she had bought 2 years back, was missing from the driveway. At first, she didn’t connect the two events (her bag going missing and her car being stolen), so she looked through CCTV footage for clues. That’s when she saw the most brazen car thief at work – while having fun with pals.
A woman in a short mini skirt, high heels and a blonde weave arrived at Louisa’s house in a taxi, accompanied by 4 or 5 other women. She casually walked up to the parked Range Rover and opened it, got inside and then came back out again, to get another friend.
In the eyes of the taxi driver, this was probably just a woman returning home to take her car. To Stevens, it was unbelievable that a car thief would have the gall to act this way.
Police have since recovered the car but Stevens needs the suspect apprehended or she loses her no-claims bonus. That’s why she released the surveillance footage to the Manchester Evening News.
“I came back from my holiday and met up with a few friends. A short night turned into a long night,” she says. “We went into Bury and had a bit of a dance. I had my day handbag with me, I don't normally go out with my car keys. I contacted police when I got home. Then I noticed my car was missing.”
“I watched the CCTV footage next morning. It was four or five girls. It is just one that gets in the car and drives off,” Stevens adds. She believes the woman stole her car on a drunken dare, or something of the kind.