Thursday 3rd April 2008

Facebook Finds Stolen Car

Social networking site used to recover stolen VW

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Facebook: More than just for wasting time?

A stolen car has been found after a woman recognised it from an appeal placed on social networking site Facebook.

Following the theft of a VW Beetle in Shrewsbury in March, Facebook users were asked to look out for the car.

Police had been alerted to the theft but had been unable to locate the car.

But after reading the Facebook appeal a woman told officers she had seen it in a Telford car park.

‘The stolen vehicle has been recovered and the vehicle owner has been informed,’ a spokesman for West Mercia Police said.

‘This is a very unusual way of recovering a stolen vehicle but we would like to thank the eagle-eyed member of the public for her assistance.

‘It's another example of the community helping police to detect crime and we would urge any members of the public who see anything suspicious in the area in which they live to call us.’

[Neomagic]

Similar thing happened recently with "The Claw" in the states.

[ibiza_warrior]

just proves how many people actually use the social networking sites. not just a waste of time according to the governemtn

[willdew]

Isn't the tagline under the picture saying "Facebook: More than just for wasting time?" somewhat a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Surely Pistonheads is in the same category?

[snorky]

you're jokin right...have you ever seen "faceache"....PH is miles ahead...

[GregE240]

ibiza_warrior said:

just proves how many people actually use the social networking sites. not just a waste of time according to the governemtn

I've got back in touch with a cousin I last saw in 1981, so I think its fab...

[Shrimper]

yeh its great for staying in touch with old mates and people you havent seen for ages

[leicesterboy15]

Neomagic said:

Similar thing happened recently with "The Claw" in the states.

Heres the link, the thread that started it all is on this page as well,

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/212943/1991-skyline-gt-...

I think its a great idea, if my car ever gets stolen its going straight on Facebook and a few other forums to try and get it back and catch the thieving bds. As the saying goes (for a well known supermarket chain about to take over the world) 'every little helps'

[timewatch]

Good result regardless of how it was done !

TW>>>

[Crow555]

I thought FaceAche and MyWasteofSpace was for kids, guess I was wrong. Couldn't think of a worse way to spend my time to be honest.

[corcoran]

Oh yeah; Facebook is really really really useful.

uh huh.


The other side of this coin is the advert placed on 'craigslist' for a bloke who was leaving town and people were welcome to swing by and take 'what they wanted' from his house.
needless to say he wasn't too happy to hear about this on his mobile phone (when he hadn't placed the ad) and to come back and find people had done just that - they even took his horse! (yes, an actual horse).

Edited by corcoran on Thursday 3rd April 13:03

Edited by corcoran on Thursday 3rd April 13:03

[xjs_man]

"It's another example of the community helping police to detect crime "

errr?? No! It's another example of a crime the BiB can't be arsed with and the community detecting crime by intself actually.

[Ravell]

"It's another example of the community replacing police to detect crime"

EFA

[officialslacker]

I've lost my Audi R8 . . . . . . . . . .

Anyone seen it

[AdamMX-5]

willdew said:

Isn't the tagline under the picture saying "Facebook: More than just for wasting time?" somewhat a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Surely Pistonheads is in the same category?

I check into Facebook when I get to work for about 5 mins then spend most of my morning looking at all the threads on here . . . so it's PH that my boss would reckon slows me down!

[monktoc]

I use facebook to keep in touch with friends after relocating to the South Coast. The main difference for me between facebook & PH, is that as I work for a dealer, PH is classed as researching the market !?!?!?!?!? Whereas facebook has been blocked.

PH wins!!

[andyuk911]

officialslacker said:

I've lost my Audi R8 . . . . . . . . . .

Anyone seen it

Was it Silver ?

i saw one driving into Maidenhead yesterday .... LOL

[flattotheboards]

timewatch said:

Good result regardless of how it was done !

TW>>>

+1

[mrth]

Good to see there are some decent people on the internet. Makes a change form all the pedos and freaks!

[dandarez]

officialslacker said:

I've lost my Audi R8 . . . . . . . . . .

Anyone seen it

Yeah, it's for sale here on PH... (see home page) and reduced in price and yummy now at just 89grand.

[Vagabund]

‘It's another example of the community helping police to detect crime and we would urge any members of the public who see anything suspicious in the area in which they live to call us.’

Read: "We, your local Police Authority, will raise our part of your Council Tax bill every year but we can never guarantee to recover your stolen car or solve any genuine crimes (unless we've got a hand-held speed camera, in which case you're nicked). Therefore it's up to you, the members of the public, to keep your eyes open and do our job for us. Remember, if something looks suspicious somebody MUST be guilty (probably you), and if we can make money from solving the case we will. Your (free) help is always appreciated, love, The Old Bill xx"