No need for Sherlock Holmes

When buying a new car, lots of us stick to what we know.

We look for similar features, perhaps even the same model - especially if our last one was stolen. Some might go as far as picking the same colour too.

But few would expect to spend thousands replacing a stolen car, only to end up buying back the very same one.

That was the reality for one Ewan Valentine from Solihull. After his black 2016 Honda Civic was nabbed from his driveway in February, he decided he wanted that same car again.

So he went to a dealership some 70 miles away, found himself a black 2016 Honda Civic, and paid £20,000 to take it away. A perfect match, but he soon started to realise it was a little too perfect.

On his drive back home, Valentine began noticing a few odd similarities between his stolen car and the one he’d just bought.

Some pine needles, wrappers, and a single tent peg made him suspicious but what really gave it away was this: his and his parents’ addresses were still saved onto the Sat Nav.

Uh oh!

99% certain he’d just bought his own stolen car, Valentine drove it to a Honda garage. Taking the blade from Valentine’s old smart key, a mechanic pushed it into the door and unlocked it… His sleuthing proved correct - it was indeed his old car.

The robbers had clearly rolled back the mileage, swapped the number plates, and Valentine is (understandably) hoping to get his money back – click here for the full story.

I suppose this is justification to all of us who leave our car a little messy – you never know when some of that rubbish might help solve a crime!

And if you’re in the market for a new car, we’ve got loads of quality used (and not stolen) cars to choose from at Buckingham Motor Company. Hit reply and let me know if you’re interested.

Ian