Can you help find yellow Ford Focus stolen from Biggleswade driveway?

A Biggleswade motorist is appealing for help to find his stolen car after it was swiped from his driveway on Tuesday evening (April 27).

Andy Penny, 47, left his house in Wensum Grove at around 7am on Wednesday morning, but was shocked to discover that his yellow Ford Focus ST was gone.

Luckily, a neighbour of Andy's has footage from a doorbell camera that shows two men walking down Andy's driveway at around 11.43pm on Tuesday evening, followed by what looks like the red glare from the car's break light as it's driven off.

Andy, a mortgage adviser, told the Chronicle: "I left the house at about 7am and couldn't believe it; I thought: 'Has somebody moved my car for a joke?'

"I was walking up and down thinking 'What is going on?' but it was too early to speak to anybody.

"Later on, one of my neighbours two doors down showed me video footage from his doorbell.

"There's two people, who are wearing dark clothes, walking up to the house, turning right, and walking on my driveway.

"Two minutes later, the houses opposite light up with the redness of my break light."

Andy describes the people in the footage as two males who are white, with a slender build, and under 40. It is thought that the car was driven to the left when leaving.

Frustratingly, Andy says he was working late on Tuesday evening, so he wasn't asleep when the incident happened.

He said: "I'm annoyed because I was still up and I didn't hear anything!

"I've still got both sets of keys and the car was locked.

"I've got a rental car and the insurance will pay out the full value. But if I want a brand new car, getting it built takes time, and the rental car will have to go back within four days."

Andy hopes someone will have spotted his car, because, after all, it is yellow (official colour name 'Tangerine') with the number plate AF17 UZU.

Andy will miss his car - which was fondly nicknamed 'The Yellow Peril' or 'The Yellow Bumblebee' but is thankful for everyone's help.

He concluded: "I'm really pleased and grateful to the people of Biggleswade. I've never used Facebook before, and I sent out a message, and the amount of people that came back to me!

"People have suggested that other cars have been stolen in the area, I think mine was taken because my car is keyless; the keys were kept 30-50ft from the car. If your car is keyless, keep your keys in a metal tin."

Bedfordshire Police has published the following advice on its website:

"To reduce the risk of becoming a keyless car theft victim follow these simple steps:

"Keep your car keys and spare set in a signal blocking pouch or box, which can be purchased online or in a specialist motorist store

"Consider fitting CCTV or doorbell sensor cameras and lighting

"Keep your keys away from windows and doors

"Consider turning off the keyless fob’s wireless signal

"Use additional safety measures like a car alarm and steering wheel lock

"If possible park, your car in a garage, a driveway, or in a well-lit area

"Fit your car with a tracker and etch index numbers on the windows."

A Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman, said: "We were called just before 8.15am yesterday morning (Wednesday) to a report that a car has been stolen from the driveway of an address in Wensum Grove, Biggleswade.

"The car is described as a 17-plate yellow Ford Focus.

"Anyone with information is asked to report it online via www.bedfordshire.police.uk or by calling us on 101 quoting reference 40/21000/21."