Devizes car raider has it taped (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Devizes car raider has it taped

7:00am Saturday 17th October 2009

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Devoted husband Michael Martin wanted to show his Endless Love for his wife of 47 years by buying her a Lionel Richie cassette tape – only for it to be the only thing stolen when thieves broke into his car.

Retired lorry driver Mr Martin, 66, of Hillworth Road, Devizes, had only just bought the American crooner’s greatest hits album Back to Front for his wife Patricia but now all they are left with is the empty cassette box.

The thieves stole the tape from the cassette radio inside the couple’s Vauxhall Vectra and left the radio intact.

A flabbergasted Mr Martin said: “It really doesn’t make sense why the thieves would just steal the Lionel Richie tape.”

Mrs Martin, 63, a retired cleaner, said she would be Dancing on the Ceiling if she got the tape back. She said: “My husband had only bought me the tape the day before it was stolen. We had played it and we left it in the car radio. When we got into the car the next morning the tape was gone and the case was on the dashboard.

“It was very nice of my husband to buy it for me and I am quite upset that it has been stolen though I suppose the thieves didn’t know it was brand new. I have got two or three other Lionel Richie tapes, although I prefer Michael Jackson’s music.”

The couple, who have three daughters and five grandchildren, are hoping the thief’s conscience may be troubling them and they ring Devizes police with the words from Richie’s massive hit: Hello, Is it me You’re Looking For? If so the number is 0845 408 7000.

The theft happened overnight on Wednesday last week when other items were stolen from other cars parked in the town.

Rear number plates were stolen from three cars, two in London Road and one in Brickley Lane, while a ladder was stolen from the roof of a vehicle in Queens Road.

One of the number plate victims was Thomas Perkins, 20, who lives with his parents in London Road.

Mr Perkins, a labourer, had to fork out £10 to buy a new number plate but also lost a day’s wages of £60, as he was unable to drive his Peugeot 306.

He said: “The police told me I couldn’t drive my car until I had a new number plate. This meant I couldn’t go to work on a building site and I’ve lost a day’s pay.

“I couldn’t believe someone would steal my number plate. I presume it has been stolen to use in some sort of crime, which is worrying.”

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