A COUNCILLOR scared off two youths who tried to steal his car from his driveway.

Simon Hart was turning the lights off in his home in Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, when he saw two hooded figures by the vehicle.

Mr Hart’s Land Rover Defender was parked alongside three other cars on the driveway at around 11.30 on Tuesday night.

Mr Hart, a Conservative councillor for Castle Point Council’s Victoria ward, said: “The family had gone to bed and I turned the lights off.

“I thought I saw something out of the window and saw two people walking down the road with hoods up and they tried to get into my car.

“I banged on the window and they ran away.”

Mr Hart’s car was stolen 18 months ago when thieves left it at Rayleigh Weir.

He said: “My car was stolen before off my driveway, so I always have it immobilised, but they still went for it.

“They walked past my neighbours and the other cars on my drive and went straight for the Defender.

“It was lucky I was looking out of the window.

They ran off up the road.

“The streetlights were on and they had their hoods tied up tight.

“The must have been in their teens.”

The attempted theft comes days after a Range Rover Evoque and Audi TT convertible were stolen from a house in Frerichs Close, Wickford.

They were found abandoned in Wallace Drive, Wickford, on Sunday.

Mr Hart added: “It’s a known issue and people who have 4x4s should be aware of it.

“When my car was stolen, they hotwired it and ended up burning through the diesel wires and it was found on the Rayleigh Weir.

I think some of them are quite easy to steal.”