Shocking discovery in recovered vehicle

ASIF Lohdi with his car

5 More Image(s) In Gallery

A BEMUSED motor enthusiast was left scratching his head when he recovered his stolen rare car . . . as it appeared to have been stashed with weapons.

The owner of the 1984 Toyota Carina II GL Auto was shocked to discover a knife, hammer and axe handle among other harmful objects in his vehicle.

The sides of the car had been slashed, the seats were ripped and there was evidence of drug use after it was hot-wired from Asif Lohdi's Glodwick home.

Asif's recognisable mint green Toyota was stolen in the early hours of Sunday, June 18, and the devastated resident immediately shared a photo on social media in an appeal for help to retrieve it.

Hurtling

Asif, of Park Road, said: "I was absolutely shocked at what I found. It had a knife, baseball bat, axe, screwdriver and hammer inside. It was like Aladdin's cave. I think it has been used in a break-in. These aren't gardening tools."

Dozens of friends and residents began responding to Asif's Facebook appeal to say they had seen his car "hurtling" around Oldham.

The 44-year-old added: "It is a very old car. It is over 30 years old. There are only a few left in the whole country. It stands out a mile. People know it is my car.

"Whoever stole the car has been hurtling around Oldham. There were so many sightings of it. Friends messaged me to say they'd seen it."

It was almost a week after the theft that Asif received a call from a friend to say his car was parked in Constantine Street, Holts. He retrieved the prized possession, which he has been doing up ever since he bought it in Liverpool in 2003, and put it in a secure location.

Asif said: "It was in such a mess. I was heartbroken after all the time I've spent on it."

Asif raised concerns about the lack of police involvement after he notified them he had recovered his car "full of weapons".

A police spokesman said they were informed at 1.30pm on Monday, June 19, that a car had been stolen.

They were aware that the car was later found by the owner and it was reported there were weapons inside the car.

Insp David Swift of Greater Manchester Police's Oldham division said: "We take all reports of crime, including car theft, incredibly seriously.

"After receiving a report, we assess the immediate threat, harm and risk to the public and allocate officers and resources accordingly. We contacted the victim three times and tried to resolve the matter with the victim but unfortunately we were unable to do so. We intend to speak to the victim in this case and discuss the concerns."