A RALLY driver and navigator have spoken of their shock on discovering their crashed car had been ransacked by opportunistic thieves after coming off the road during a popular Barcud Motor Club event.

Simon Summers and co-driver Dilwyn John from Ponthirwaun, near Cardigan, were competing in the 100-mile Barcud Rally, run mainly on roads around Penuwch and Tregaron, when their Ford Puma slid into a ditch less than a mile after setting out.

Forced to abandon the vehicle, dad-of-two Simon, 46, chose to marshal the race for the rest of the night, but on returning to recover his car at 6am the following morning, he found it had been targeted by thieves. The navigation clock, harnesses, snap-on-impact gun, driving gloves, quick-release bilstein jack, paperwork and documents had all been taken.

Navigator John said: “I’m appalled and disappointed that someone has stripped the car.

“In my 35 years of rallying, this has never happened to me and it couldn’t have been a true rally enthusiast that did it, as all rally boys help each other out.

“The car skidded off the road and we ended up stuck in a ditch. There was no damage to the car and we left it there to collect later. It’s such a pity that someone decided to ruin someone else’s property.

Simon, an experienced rally competitor from Ferryside, added: “Coming off so early was embarrassing enough, but then to find out the car had been stripped when I got back to it was a real kick in the teeth. I feel extremely bitter to think someone could have invaded the car in this way.”

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