Paper boy solves crime thanks to Worthing Herald

And it was a 14-year-old paper boy who spotted the stolen Suzuki hatchback featured in our "Have you seen this car?" story on April 12, describing how local charity volunteer Roy Dew had his unattended vehicle snatched after delivering Easter meals on wheels.

Paper boy Myuran Vijayakumar, of South Street, Tarring, was delivering Heralds early last Thursday morning, when he spotted the distinctive, bright-orange car in Pilgrims Close, Tarring.

Myuran had already seen the Herald story, and he stopped to compare the picture in the paper with the parked vehicle. Bingo.

After returning to Taylor's newsagents in Tarring, Myuran told his brother Vino of his discovery.

Vino, aged 26, co-owner of the shop, went back with Myuran to Pilgrims Close to confirm the find, and contacted the police.

They were soon on the scene and removed the car for forensic examination.

One good follow-up lead is a digital camera, containing several images, which was found in the car.

The camera does not belong to Roy or his wife Shirley Western, who live in Rusper Road, Littlehampton.

The camera images are being checked out by police in the hope they will give a clue to the thieves' identity.

The 9,000 Suzuki Swift was bought new only last year and it was stolen on Easter Saturday from the Guild Care car park in Gordon Road, Worthing.

"It had covered an extra 249 miles by the time we got it back, and that includes the police mileage," said Shirley.

"We are just so very grateful to everybody involved in us getting our car back '” the Worthing Herald, the paper boy and the police.

"Today (Tuesday, April 17) is our silver wedding anniversary and this is the best present we could have had."

Shirley added: "This just shows the power of the local paper. You have your broadband and internet, yet in the end we got our car back through the Worthing Herald."

A police spokeswoman said as a result of subsequent house-to-house enquiries made in Pilgrims Close and Guildford Close, they had obtained statements from witnesses who had seen people in and around the vehicle, and one witness believed he might be able to identify them.