Presenter Castle's stolen car back

27 January 2010

Television presenter Andrew Castle's stolen luxury car has been returned by the police.

The GMTV host's £40,000 Jaguar XF was taken from his street in Balham, south London in the early hours of January 6.

Mr Castle had given up hope of finding it, but a police officer on his beat spotted the car abandoned and undamaged in Waters Square, Norbiton in south-west London, two weeks later.

Mr Castle, 46, the former British number one tennis player, said: "I was a bit shocked by the phone call from the police as I never expected the car would be found.

"I was quickly told that it had been found and it had not been damaged at all. My day just got brighter."

Community support officer Graham Brown, who found the car, said he realised the car was out of place and found that it was stolen.

Police said they were investigating the theft to determine who may have towed the car away or used a low-loader, as its keys were not taken.

Sergeant Andrew Rice, leader of the Norbiton Safer Neighbourhood team, said they have several clues about the identities of the culprits.

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