Suffolk police have apologised to the motorist-turned-detective who beat officers in the hunt for his stolen car.

IPSWICH: Suffolk police have apologised to the motorist-turned-detective who beat officers in the hunt for his stolen car.

Roan Webb located his Peugeot 406 coup� after texting his friends for help - and even nicked it back from the thieves.

He has now spoken of his frustration at the police response after claiming to have given details of a suspect, which he gathered during his three-day amateur investigation earlier this month.

He has also complained about delays in filing reports.

As yet, no arrests have been made in connection with the theft, which took place in Beaconsfield Road on October 5.

Mr Webb, of London Road, Ipswich, said: “I wasn't impressed by the fact they have details of the person who could have stolen the car and nothing has been done.

“I have lost all faith in the police. I wouldn't say don't ring them, but just don't rely on them.”

The 40-year-old former soldier claims a chief inspector from Suffolk police called him on Monday night to personally apologise for the lack of action with the case.

Mr Webb also fears his car may be written off after discovering extensive damage to the engine, believed to have been caused by the way it was driven by the thieves.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk police said: “We have made contact with Mr Webb to discuss the way in which the crime was dealt with and we apologise for any frustration felt by him during the investigation.

“We commend Mr Webb for the initiative he showed and we are glad that he now has his vehicle back.

“Suffolk Constabulary takes all reports of crime very seriously and we ensure that all appropriate enquires are conducted to recover stolen property, return it to its rightful owner and bring to justice those responsible. The investigation to identify those responsible continues.”

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