A £7,000 car is back with a Kesgrave man today after his girlfriend disappeared with it almost a year ago.Alan Newson, 32, was asleep on February 13 this year at his home at Banyard Close when Annette Nicholls left in his VW Golf.

A £7,000 car is back with a Kesgrave man today after his girlfriend disappeared with it almost a year ago.

Alan Newson, 32, was asleep on February 13 this year at his home at Banyard Close when Annette Nicholls left in his VW Golf.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Newson claimed Ms Nicholls of Damselfly Road, forged his signature on the registration document and stole his car.

On February 18 police discovered Ms Nicholls driving the car and she was arrested and the car was seized.

Forensic tests were carried out to determine who the writer of Mr Newman's signature was but these returned inconclusive.

Mr Newson told the court he had woken up early on February 13 and heard Ms Nicholls and her son downstairs after they had stayed the night.

He then went back to sleep and woke at midday but Ms Nicholls, her son and his car were gone.

He said: “My keys were on the side and that was the last time I saw her”.

Mr Newson said he had been seeing Ms Nicholls for about seven months and had given her his lower value Renault 19 as a gift but he denied signing over the VW car which he had bought for almost £7,000 on July 23, 2004.

During a police property hearing magistrates found that Mr Newson was the legal owner of the vehicle. Ms Nicholls did not attend the hearing.