Moment brazen thief steals a Mercedes convertible as it’s getting valeted and the owner is standing just feet away
- CCTV shows a five-year-old white Mercedes being stolen mid-valet yesterday
- A man wearing a grey tracksuit and cap gets in to the car before speeding away
- Valets cleaning the car stand and watch helplessly as it is driven away in Enfield
A brass-necked thief sped away in a £16,000 five-year-old Mercedes convertible while valets stood around its open boot during a deep clean yesterday.
CCTV footage shows a man wearing a grey tracksuit and cap getting in to a white Mercedes as a woman and three workers gather around the boot in Enfield, London.
The thief, who patiently waits for his moment to strike, even takes a moment to speak to a woman who seems to be its owner, as she waits for the valets to finish cleaning.
The boot is left open as the valets stand around looking bewildered and confused at the valet services in Enfield, London
While a woman who looks like the owner stands at the boot with valets gathered around her the thief quickly walks over, gets in to the driver’s seat, closes the door and speeds off
The video was uploaded to Facebook with a caption asking for anyone who sees the vehicle to call the police immediately.
Video shows the man walk in to the valet area before circling around a white van.
A man watching the CCTV suggests he might have been intending to try to take it, saying: ‘Maybe he is going to check the van. Maybe the keys are inside.’
As he walks back around the thief starts talking to the woman in an effort to avoid appearing suspicious and the pair chat for a short while.
He appears to be commenting on the car as, with his hands in his hoodie pocket, he kicks his foot out to point towards the car door and peers inside.
The video was uploaded to Facebook with a caption asking for anyone who sees the vehicle to call the police immediately
Comments underneath the video warned against drivers leaving their keys in the ignition of their cars while it is being serviced
One valet sits in the driver’s seat and cleans the dashboard while another runs around the outside wiping the tyre rims.
The thief then steps back and waits as the woman goes in to her boot to take out bags before walking away, placing them down and heading back to the car.
While she stands at the boot with valets gathered around her the thief quickly walks over, gets in to the driver’s seat, closes the door and speeds off.
The boot is left open as the valets stand around looking bewildered and confused.
‘I can’t believe he even has the time to close the doors, start the car, and then just take off,’ a woman can be heard saying as she watches the footage.
Comments underneath the video warn against drivers leaving their keys in the ignition of their cars while it is being serviced.
Duncan Bridgen said: ‘Why would you even leave your keys in the ignition.’
Jason Hemington added: ‘Never leave the keys in the ignition no matter what.’
Others commented that the woman who seems to be the owner is ‘picky’ about her wash and deserved to have it stolen.
‘Anyone who is that picky about how their car is washed should have it stolen,’ says Kieran O’Donnell.
Wayne Hunt said: ‘Am I the only one wondering if she had to pay for the valeting job?’