Mother 'distraught' after special engine belonging to her army veteran son taken from driveway

Mother-of-four Tyne Smith had been keeping a Ford Capri engine belonging to her eldest son while he was in the army.

Tyne's son had bought the engine off a good friend before he left, and it stayed wrapped up and tucked safely away until he returned from the army.

Now that he had his own home and family, Tyne said, he wanted to pick up the engine and turn it into a unique table. His mother had taken a picture of the engine just hours before it was taken to tell him it was "ready after all these years".

The 59-year-old, who is a full-time carer for her mother, said: "I took it out and put it on the driveway for my son to come and collect, it was far away from the road.

"I took my mum out for tea, and when we got back it was gone. I called him straight away, I said "Did you come and get it then, darling?" and he said no.

"I knew instantly it had been taken. I'm just distraught. My mother was in tears, she is terrified. She hasn't been able to get out of bed, she has been so ill since it happened."

Tyne, who also runs a voluntary animal rescue shelter, said she instantly got in her car, taking her young German Shepherd with her, and tried to find the people who took it. She believes it was scrap men.

"I just want to ask for it back," Tyne said. "I don't want them to get into trouble, I just want it back. It means so much to my son. I'm just so upset."

Tyne said the driveway is gated but the gates were under repair, resulting in one of them being open at the time.

The engine was taken from the Smith's family home on the A49 in Battlefield at around 7pm.