Stolen Mercedes Recovered After Officer’s Quick Instincts Pay Off

A routine patrol in Belmont and Canons took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when a dedicated ward officer spotted a Mercedes that “didn’t look quite right”—and her instincts proved spot‑on.

PC Giorgiana Albata was carrying out high‑visibility patrols when passing a vehicle which caught her attention. Something about it prompted her to double back and run checks. Moments later, she discovered the car had been reported stolen in the Thames Valley area after a suspect took it for a test drive and later returned to steal the vehicle.

Officers immediately seized the Mercedes so it can be returned to its rightful owner.

Speaking after the recovery, PC Giorgiana Albata issued a reminder to the public:

“On this occasion, someone bought a car at a price that was clearly too good to be true—and they ended up losing out. When buying or selling vehicles, take a moment to run proper checks. A few minutes of caution can prevent a very expensive mistake.”

Police are encouraging residents to use trusted sellers, verify ownership documents, and always question unusually low prices.