A woman from Little Hulton, Salford, has retrieved her stolen £40,000 car after tracing it herself using a manufacturer's app. Jacinta Bathalda, a mother-of-four, was alerted to the theft of her Audi at 03:00 BST on 10 August.
Five days after the theft, a friend informed her about the car's tracking capabilities. Bathalda then used the manufacturer's app, which indicated the car was low on petrol and located 30 miles away in Blackburn.
Upon arriving in Blackburn, Bathalda discovered her car fitted with new number plates, which a DVLA check revealed were for a Volkswagen. The app later showed another location 20 minutes away in Colne, where she found her car and drove it away.
Bathalda stated she then contacted the police, who reportedly advised her that she should have contacted them first to prevent the contamination of fingerprint evidence. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has been contacted for comment.
Despite fearing potential reprisals from the thief, Bathalda expressed satisfaction with her actions. She noted that the thief still possesses a key to the vehicle and that she now sleeps only one hour a day, monitoring her camera for any return attempts.