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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kathleen Speirs

Scots gran's 'stolen' car was parked outside son's house in hilarious cop call blunder

A ditzy Scots family fear they're 'talk of the town' after reporting a car and two dogs as missing - before remembering where they'd left them.

Elaine Hodgson, 58, was frantic on Thursday morning when she looked out the window of her home in Kelty, Fife to find her white Ford Fiesta had been ' stolen through the night'.

The distraught gran-of-four called police and completed an incident form while panicked loved ones launched a search party via social media.

The white Ford Fiesta was reported stolen to police then traced 20 minutes later (HANDOUT)

But just 20 minutes after calling the cops Elaine, a social care worker, was alerted to a motor similar to hers parked outside her son David's house, a couple of streets away.

The car was Elaine's who parked up at David's the night before, popped in to say hello and walked home - totally forgetting her movements.

Elaine's overnight amnesia left her family in stitches including 30-year-old daughter, Danielle Pepperday.

Elaine Hodgson isn't usually described as forgetful but Thursday morning's antics suggested otherwise (HANDOUT)

The dog groomer told the Record: "My mum is usually on it but this was something else.

"My dad phoned me on Thursday in a panic saying 'mum's lost the car - but she's got the keys so we don't know what's happened'.

"Fife's been bad for stolen cars recently so I went on social media straight away, we were worried."

Shortly after alerting police David's ex-partner spotted a white Ford outside David's house and everything fell into place.

Scoffing at her mum's hilarious blunder Danielle added: "My mum had to phone the police back straight away, it was hilarious.

"She often goes to David's after visiting her mum who lives nearby - it was sat so close to her house.

"How she walked right by the car and all the way home we do not know."

It's a case of the pot calling the kettle black for Danielle and Craig Pepperday when it comes to being forgetful (HANODUT)

But it's the pot calling the kettle black for Danielle who herself had a moment of forgetfulness.

Upon returning home from the supermarket on Tuesday, Danielle was greeted by husband Craig, 32, and their two young children.

But her beloved Border Collies, Blu and Flossy Dog, were nowhere to be seen.

"My dogs are like my babies I went into total panic mode," she added.

"Craig thought they'd escaped out the back garden.

"I got in my car and headed to the local park, Craig asked our neighbour to watch the kids and he went out searching."

It wasn't until Danielle took to social media that she realised where they'd gone.

Blu and Flossy Dog's 'disappearance' had frantic Danielle and Craig Pepperday launching an online appeal to find them (HANDOUT)

"I asked on a Facebook group, 'Has anyone seen my dogs?' to which our dog walker replied with a photo of them saying, 'they're safe with me', "she said.

"They were out with the dog walker, Craig saw them off.

"He forgot he'd done that and I forgot it was their dog walking time.

"We both got in such a panic in the moment that neither of us realised."

She added: "So that's two times this week I've gone to Facebook asking for help to find two dogs and a car, and both times we've just forgotten where they were.

"We're definitely the talk of the town in Kelty. I was so embarrassed.

"But it's hilarious at the same time."

Police confirmed the momentary investigation into the 'stolen vehicle'.

A Police Scotland spokesman told the Record: "The vehicle was initially reported stolen shortly after 9.35am and they called back to confirm it had not been approximately 20 minutes later."

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