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Bungling thief caught after stealing hire car's steering wheel

A DIM-WITTED criminal has been convicted of theft after stealing parts of a brand new Audi A3 hire car and replacing them with old bits taken from his much older Audi S3. Alexander Keating, a 23-year-old former bodyshop technician who lost his job following the conviction, stole parts as obvious as the steering wheel and gear knob from the A3 that his mum had hired after damaging her car in an accident. Keating foolishly believed no one would notice the battered old steering wheel on the otherwise shiny, new car, but sure enough the mismatched parts were spotted and the hapless bungler was caught by the car hire firm’s bespoke anti-fraud team Asset Protection Unit (APU).

Warning to car owners ahead of peak MOT time

DRIVERS OF cars three years old and over are being warned of potential MOT pitfalls in the month of September. Due to the registration plate change in September and March each year these months also see a peak in the number of MOT tests, confirmed by statistics provided by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Data has also revealed that a key area for MOT failures is vehicle lighting, which can be looked at ahead of the test.

Roof leaks dampen Autorama

The Detroit Autorama was marred last weekend by a leaky roof that spilled salty, rusty water onto several custom cars. The leaks were caused by a combination of heavy precipitation--Detroit has had one of the snowiest winters in recent memory that gave way to an early March rainstorm--which pummeled an aging roof. Water fell to the show floor in six spots, temporarily damaging seven or eight cars.