Ewan Valentine, 36, from Solihull, had his black Honda Civic Type-R stolen from his drive in February.

While searching for an identical 2016 model, he found one 70 miles away which perfectly matched his previous car, including its “slightly obnoxious exhaust system”. After purchasing it from a reputable garage, Mr Valentine noticed familiar oddments inside, such as a tent peg and Christmas tree needles. His suspicions were confirmed when he found his and his parents’ addresses stored in the sat-nav history, BBC reports.

Police were notified and, along with Honda technicians, confirmed it was Mr Valentine’s car, expertly cloned with a new number plate and altered vehicle identification numbers. A technician unlocked the door using the original physical key.

Mr Valentine, who had been “gutted” by the theft, described the moment of realisation as shocking. He believes the garage he bought the car from was also deceived and hopes to receive a full refund.