A father-to-be has told of his devastation at losing his only mode of transport just weeks before his partner is due to give birth.
Now East Kilbride delivery driver Cameron Cole has issued an urgent appeal after his Ford Fiesta ST-2 was stolen from a tower block car park in the St Leonards area of the town.
And the 29-year-old told Lanarkshire Live he could only watch as his molten orange motor tore down the A726 Strathaven Road towards East Kilbride town centre behind a blacked out hatchback travelling at high speed shortly after midnight on Friday, November 25.
With his first born son due in February, Cameron is pleading for anyone with information or dashcam / doorbell footage of his car (SM63 UHH) to get in touch or contact police.
Cameron, who also works as a warehouse operative, told us: "I had finished doing deliveries around 9pm for Pacini's up in Greenhills and went to see my partner who's pregnant.
"I parked the car up and was there till around midnight. I left the flat and went to get my car keys out my pocket, but when I looked up the car wasn't in the space I'd parked it in.
"I thought I must have been tired and parked it elsewhere, so I stood in the space just looking around the car park and ten seconds later heard my car coming down the A726.
"In front of it was a blacked out hatchback or estate car, like an Audi or Volkswagen, flying down the road past the college doing 80mph plus."
Cameron told how his heart "completely sank" when he heard the distinctive exhaust and spotted his 'donut' sticker on the rear window.
He added: "As soon as I saw it drive by I phoned 999. I went back to the flat and told my partner my car had been stolen and her face just sank.
"Four weeks before Christmas, 11 weeks before our first born is due to arrive - the timing is just like a kick in the shin.
"That's what I'm more angry about, not so much the car being stolen, but the fact that I'm going to have to dip into savings that have been put aside for the baby so I can get from A to B and do my day job, as well as my weekend delivery driving.
"I had my work gear and my mum's 60th birthday present in the boot of the car as well - a purple Oodie and Sterling silver Pandora necklace - so I've only got two days to get her something else."
Cameron, whose car was parked between Clyde Tower and Calder Tower when it was stolen, said it didn't bear thinking about if he'd left that bit earlier and caught the car thieves in the act.
He said: "I could have stumbled across them stealing it and things could have been worse, I could have been set about, stabbed or even killed.
"I've heard of so many cars being stolen, in Blantyre, Cambuslang - it's just brutal. I know there's not much chance I'll ever get it back.
"Please if anyone has seen anything at all, contact the police ASAP."
Lanarkshire Live have contacted Police Scotland for comment.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101. Alternatively, information can be left anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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