A FRAIL widower has been left virtually housebound after his treasured Morris Minor was stolen from outside a friend’s house.

Dennis Browne, 81, of Mulberry Way, South Woodford, made the short drive to Iris Babb’s house on Chigwell Road at around 4pm last Monday.

When he left at 6pm he found his car had been stolen.

Mr Browne, who suffers from emphysema, said: “I’ve had that car for 26 years.

“I can’t get around very well without it, but it’s not just about the travel.

“ I bought it when my wife was alive, so there are a lot of memories attached to it.”

Mr Browne had recently spent £300 on new tyres, a battery and a cylinder for the 1967 car which is even more collectible than it would normally be because it has the letters OLD on its number plate.

And he believes the car may have been stolen to order.

“There was no broken glass where I parked it,” he explained. “I suppose someone could have hotwired it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d picked it up and taken it away on a truck or something.

“Iris and I were in the garden so we didn’t hear anything.”

Ms Babb, 77, has rheumatoid arthritis and also finds it difficult to get around.

She and Mr Browne often used the car for shopping trips and outings.

She said of her friend Mr Browne: “You couldn’t meet a nicer man. For this to happen to him is just terrible.

“I know what I would like to do to the scumbags who stole his car, but I don’t think you could print it.

“ I can get over to him by bus, but it’s not so easy for him to get over to me without the car.”

Mr Browne reported the theft to police and is insured, but he says money alone won’t be enough to compensate for the loss of his treasured car.

“It would mean an awful lot to me to get my car back, “he explained. “I carry a picture of it around with me and I’m going to show it to people to see if they have seen it.

“I had it valued at £3,500 a few years ago, but it’s priceless to me.”

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