A RUTHLESS thief stole a market trader’s car as she was packing up for the day and drove it at high speed down Cheapside, narrowly missing pedestrians.
Louise Bownes, who runs the Kisses and Wishes gift stall at the entrance to the meat and fish market every Saturday, was waiting for her husband Jamie Maggs to drive on to Cheapside to load her stock into the car.
Cars are not allowed to drive on Cheapside until after 4.30pm, and Jamie had just put the back seats down to get the stock in when a man jumped into the car and sped off down the shopping precinct.
Louise, of White Cross Court, Cudworth, said: “The keys were on the seat and he’s jumped in and driven off at speed through the pedestrian area coming out by M & S. How he didn’t kill someone is a miracle.”
Louise, who works at a doctor’s surgery in Cudworth, said Jamie and her sister’s partner gave chase, but lost him as they tried to make their way through the pedestrians.
The man has been caught on various CCTV cameras across the town centre, but there is still no trace of Louise’s car - a maroon Kia Sorento with the registration DT02 MJT, which she uses to move her stock, get to work and take her daughter to school.
She said: “The council and police have checked all the CCTV cameras. You can see him at points around Barnsley, driving erratically and almost losing control of the vehicle. But we still don’t know where the vehicle is.
“Someone came to us on Facebook to say they had caught him on their dashcam going around B & M, and going up Harborough Hill.
“He could have taken the slip road back down on to Pontefract Road - he’s not on any cameras on Sheffield Road or near Morrisons. They think it’s either that way, or down Wesley Street and back on to Pontefract Road.
“Jamie’s phone was in the car at the time, and it showed it was in Long Causeway and Byron Drive in Monk Bretton.
Louise said the police do not know who the culprit is, but she has been posting regular Facebook posts in the hope someone may see the car.
She said: “The trauma and upset and the inconvenience this has caused is unimaginable. The fact he has not killed someone is the main thing, but it could have been a completely different story.
“I’m devastated about what’s happened. My little girl was there and witnessed it and heard the noise of the car as he drive through Barnsley - it was awful.
“It makes me cross because you try your best and work hard to earn a living and someone comes along and takes it, just like that.”
Louise said the other craft traders were particularly kind, and one even let them use their car to get home. Louise is now relying on friends and family to drive her.
She added: “At this moment, we don’t even know if the insurance is going to pay out.”
The only description Louise has of the man is that he had white skin and black hair.
A police spokesman said officers had patrolled the area in search of the car but were unable to find it.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact 101 quoting incident number 725 of November 11.
