Overview

• A schoolboy spotted the stolen 100-year-old Silver Ghost in a dirty shed and his father alerted Essex Police, who recovered the vehicle intact on its trailer.
• Owner Brian Fitton had offered a £2,000 reward and enlisted extensive press coverage to boost the search for the £300,000 vintage car.
• Essex Police cited the high-profile recovery when announcing 573 fewer vehicle thefts in the county over the past 12 months.
• Detective Superintendent Shaun Kane reported a 126% increase in solved vehicle offences alongside the decline in thefts.
• The Silver Ghost still bears its original Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet ornament and has toured Europe extensively since its 1907 debut.