Kate Marment (left) with Pc Myfanwy Beaumont, and the Austin J40 on the day it was handed over at Merthyr Police station
A family from Wiltshire has been reunited with their pride and joy – a shiny red Austin J40 pedal car – thanks to the persistence of a South Wales Police officer.
Pc Myfanwy Beaumont returned the car to its rightful owner, Kate Marment, who drove 145 miles from her home in Heytesbury to Merthyr police station on Wednesday to collect it.
Officers came across the rare collectable pedal car during a drugs raid in Aberdare and they immediately suspected it to be stolen.
The car was seized, and Pc Beaumont’s determined investigation to find the owner began.
Nearly two months later, she managed to find the owners in Wiltshire, who were immediately able to identify their prized possession by describing a rust mark on the car’s silver bumper.
It turns out the car was from the family’s home in Wiltshire last year, and they got it back almost a year to the day that it was taken in that burglary.
PC Beaumont, said: “When we came across the car we’d never seen anything like it – we knew straight away it was cherished by somebody somewhere, and we suspected it had been stolen.
“I was desperate to find the owner, and am delighted to be the one to hand it back to the family where it will be so well looked after,” she added.
The Austin J40, which is 5ft 3 inches long and weighs just under 50 kilogrammes, has been in the Marment family for 50 years.
PC Beaumont said: “It is ironic this little car found its way – somewhat reluctantly I am sure – to a south wales valley, because from doing a bit of research, I understand these pedal cars were actually built in a factory in Bargoed, south Wales by miners who were unable to work due to illness.”
Kate Marmant, who collected the car on Wednesday, said: “We were delighted when we were told our car may have been found – so long had gone by that we thought we’d never see it again.
“It is our pride and joy, a family heirloom which has been passed down through and enjoyed by generations.
“I’d like to thank Pc Beaumont for her tenacity and determination to find us. She understood what it means to us and we are very grateful,” she added.
An investigation into how the car ended up in the Cynon Valley is ongoing. A 36 year-old man from Aberdare is currently on police bail pending further enquiries.
