A man took a £20,000 Mercedes for a test drive and never returned.
The car's owner, a woman in her 40s from Feering, had gone with the thief on the test drive thinking he was a prospective buyer.
But when he pulled up outside Prested Hall, Feering, and she got out of the passenger seat to walk round the car, he drove off in the direction of the A12.
Police are appealing for help in tracing the thief, who struck about 2.25pm on Friday.
The car is a distinctive purple-blue Mercedes CLK 230, registration V157YBD.
The thief is described as a white man of medium build in his late 20s, about 6ft tall with short black wavy hair.
He was clean-shaven and wearing blue coveralls, white trainers and a white baseball cap.
Anyone with information can contact PC Allan Discombe at Witham police station on 01376 501212.
Published Monday, January 6, 2003
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