Stolen supercar dumped by thieves
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.LOUISE JURY
Thieves who stole a pounds 1m prototype car with a revolutionary new engine abandoned it yesterday, but kept the pounds 5,000 trailer it had been on.
A member of the public spotted the Renault Safrane supercar dumped in Gillingham town centre, Kent, six-and-a-half hours after it was reported missing from a service station off the M2 three miles away.
A spokeswoman for Renault said it was a "great relief" that the car had been traced - she believed undamaged. As Inspector Mervyn Williams of Kent Police said: "It's bad enough when you lose a Ford Escort ..."
The drama began when the unnamed driver stopped for the night at the service station on Tuesday evening. He was en route from France, where Renault is based, to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, the British headquarters of Perkins Technology Ltd, a consulting company which works with all the major car manufacturers.
He parked the trailer and the metallic blue-green supercar with French registration plates in the car park. But when he looked out the hotel window just before 7am yesterday both trailer and cargo were gone.
Police appealed for help and at 1.30pm a member of the public spotted the vehicle, minus the trailer, in Gillingham.
Insp Williams said: "It would appear that the thieves were after the trailer and did not really want the car."
John Chandler, a spokesman for Perkins Technology's parent company, the Perkins Group, said: "My expectation is that [the car] will continue its journey with us, but we will be speaking to Renault about the arrangements."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments