Harwich: Thieves steal vintage scooter before it is found dumped

Iain Donald, 55, from Harwich, awoke to a phone call from his friend on Tuesday who believed his 1966 Lambretta had been found discarded in Low Road.

Up until that point, Mr Donald was unaware his two-wheeler had been snatched, but now suspects the theft must have happened during the early hours of the morning.

“I had no idea it was stolen until I woke up to a phone call from a mate who said he had seen a post on online saying it looked my scooter had been dumped,” he said.

“I assume the thieves free-wheeled her down the hill, as no attempt had been made to shimmy the ignition or hot wire her.

“They probably did not know how to get her started and then did not want to push it through the snow.

“I doubt they knew what she was and probably thought it was some modern twist on a retro thing which would be easy to start.

“But luckily there is a knack to getting a Lambretta going.”

Within just half an hour of being alerted to its location, Mr Donald had managed to retrieve his beloved red and cream scooter, much to his relief.

He has now lambasted those responsible for the theft but also joked he may need to have a stern word with his four-legged security guards.

Mr Donald added: “Thankfully she is back home now, safe and sound, and does not seem too damaged, but there are a lot of thieving scumbags in this town.

“While the monetary value of stolen possessions can be claimed back, the emotional value of some items cannot and I loathe thieves for that.

“My Lambretta means a lot to me as I have owned it for 18 years and been into scooters since I got one when I was 16.

“I am, however, grateful to the community as most people are decent and law-abiding and without them I would not have known my scooter was stolen or where to find it.”

“But I have now got to beef up the locks and security and have a serious word with the dogs, who seem to bark at anything but thieves.”