Couple are forced to steal back their own car after police refuse to investigate despite AirTag pinpointing its EXACT location
A couple whose Jaguar was stolen were forced to steal it back after police took too long to investigate.
Mia Forbes Pirie and Mark Simpson discovered their car had gone missing from near their west London home in Brook Green on Wednesday morning.
The pair had it fitted with an airtag locator meaning they were able to track the vehicle to an updated location in Chiswick at 10.30am.
But police informed them after dialling 999 that they did not know when they would be able to investigate and so could not offer immediate assistance.
The couple took matters into their own hands when Ms Pirie, 48, discovered the airtag had last pinged on the road outside their home at around 3.20am.
The Jaguar E-Pace - a model that sold for about £46,000 new in 2024 - also had a 'ghost immobiliser' fitted which required the right buttons to be hit on the car's control unit before it could start.
Mr Simpson, 62, reported being nervous as he made the four-mile journey with his wife to the car's new location.
The pair discovered the vehicle on a quiet back street with its interior and carpets ripped apart by thieves who had attempted to access its wiring.
Forbes Pirie, a former solicitor and now an award-winning mediator, and Mr Simpson, a commercial barrister, had installed a series of additional security mechanisms on the car after previously experiencing the theft of a vehicle.
They said they thought the theft operation on their Jaguar must have been 'reasonably sophisticated' and likely involved a tow or flat-bed truck.
Neighbours later reported they had heard unusual noises at night.
In a post to LinkedIn, Ms Forbes Pirie admitted it was 'kind of fun' stealing back the car but questioned 'why we should have had to do that'.
She added: '[Is] it right that the police seem to have no interest in investigating what is likely to have been a reasonably sophisticated operation involving a flat bed truck… if there are no consequences, what is the incentive for people not to do more of this?'
But speaking to The Times afterwards Ms Forbes Pirie said she thought it was a lack of resourcing that had affected the Met's ability to respond.
She said: 'The police are under-resourced and it's a shame. But if there aren't any consequences to people stealing cars or a lot of the other crimes where there aren't any consequences, then I don't really see what the deterrent is to stop people from doing it more.'
Official Met Police figures show there were 33,530 offences of 'theft or unauthorised taking' of a motor vehicle in London in 2024 - a 1.6 per cent increase on the previous year.
There were 326 'positive outcomes - which can include a charge or caution - representing a success rate of below one per cent.
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