Leven garage owner hit by thieves angered by reclaim fee

Last month, four cars were taken from Lamberts Garage on Scoonie Road.

Two of the vehicles were later recovered by police but owner Scott Lambert is now almost a grand out of pocket because of a bill for getting them back.

“I’m just so mad,” Scott said. “I’m the victim here. It’s like kicking a man when he’s down. I’m not happy at all.”

Scott claims the high cost was due to add-ons, such as a storage fee and a release fee.

Police Scotland said that recovered vehicles are held by a contractor while forensic examinations took place, and that this was at no cost to the owner.

However, there is a standard fee for the intial recovery, a daily fee is incurred until the vehicle is collected and there can be additional costs if specialist equipment is used.

A 23-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with the incident.