A MAN wrongly accused by police of stealing a truck turned up to get his vehicle back from impoundment to find it had already been given away.

Joseph Stonehouse, 56, was driving down Epping High Street, earlier this year, when the registration plate of his truck and horsebox were recorded by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras at the police station.

He said: “They pulled me over on Epping New Road. It was ridiculous. There were about six police cars there. They told me it was a stolen vehicle. They took me to Harlow police station and I spent six hours in cells and was finger-printed. They said the vehicle was stolen on December 6, but I'd owned it since July last year, and I told them that.”

Mr Stonehouse's registration matched that of a vehicle reported stolen from Leicester in December last year and he was arrested on suspicion of theft.

Despite an exact number plate match, an investigation revealed the stolen vehicle was entirely different from Mr Stonehouse's and he was subsequently released without charge.

But a new twist awaited the embattled motorist when he contacted the police pound to regain his vehicle.

He said: “When I went to pick it up from the Essex Police pound it had gone. They'd given it away to someone else “The insurance company said one of their customers had been traced through the ANPR. It was given back to their customer.”

After six weeks' of searching Mr Stonehouse eventually recovered his truck, but his plight didn't stop there.

“When I found the horse box there was damage to the back and about £2,500 of property was missing. I had my bridle, a saddle, a TV and DVD all gone,” he said.

“I haven't got anywhere with anyone. I'm in the process of fixing the truck, I've got a horse I can't ride because I can't afford a new saddle, and Essex Police are saying they've done nothing wrong. They don't believe the gear was on-board when they took it off me.

“I think it's a joke. Essex Police have just washed their hands of it. They've completely and utterly killed my respect for them over this. It was such a simple thing to get right and they haven't got it right at all.”

Following the initial incident, in February, Mr Stonehouse, of Prospect Road, Woodford Green, complained to Essex Police in June, but their formal investigation concluded his claim was “unsubstantiated”.

He has now appealed that decision to the Independent Police Complaints Commission which confirmed it is currently considering his case.