Police are looking for a man after he reached through the window of a private hire car, snatched the keys and ran off - and returned them to their owner’s house days later.

Spearhead Radio driver Muhammed Chaudhry, 32, was parked in Gordon Street, Luton, at 3.45am with a customer who had pre-booked with his company.

Suddenly a man ran up alongside his red Toyota Avensis, leaned through the open window, yanked the keys out of the ignition and ran away.

Father-of-three Mr Chaudhry, of Ethelbert’s Avenue, Luton, claims he was unable to leave his car because he had customers present, so he called the police.

Mr Chaudhry only got hold of his keys three days later when they were mysteriously put through his front door letter box.

He said: “I was sitting in the car with a customer when I heard some swearing. Then out of nowhere this guy reaches inside my car and takes my keys away.

“I had all my keys on that key ring, including those to my house. I had to pay £60 to have my car recovered to my house, as well as having to put up with the inconvenience of not having either my car of any of my keys for a while.

“I’m extremely angry because my children, who are ten, seven and six, need to be looked after. It’s scary to think people can just steal your keys and leave you sitting there in the town centre in the middle of the night.

“I don’t know who it was who put the keys through my letter box.” Police spokeswoman Sarah Wilkinson said: “We’ve recorded the crime involving theft from a motor vehicle and are investigating it.

“If we find the relevant person we will be looking to prosecute.”

http://www.mk-news.co.uk/news/luton/2006/nov/26/who%20holds%20the%20key%20to%20peculiar%20taxi%20mugging.lpf