Joanna Lumley's Car Targeted by Masked Motorbike Thieves in London
Dame Joanna Lumley was reportedly targeted by a group of masked motorbike thieves who attempted to steal her car in Vauxhall, south London. The incident occurred in the middle of the night, with the thieves causing damage to the vehicle's boot before fleeing when they were discovered.
Neighbour Recalls Disturbing Scene
Neighbour Emma Duncan described being "woken in the middle of the night" after hearing a disturbance outside her home. She witnessed a group of men on motorbikes surrounding a car with its alarm blaring. "One of them was sitting in the driver's seat, yelling 'I can't f****** start it,'" she explained, revealing how the car boot was damaged during the attempted theft.
Emma, writing for The Times, detailed how Joanna emerged from her home dressed in her dressing gown to find the gang surrounding her vehicle on motorbikes. The individuals were attempting to start the car but made their escape immediately upon being discovered by the actress.
Police Investigation and Crime Statistics
The Metropolitan Police have been investigating a series of vehicle-related crimes in the Vauxhall area. Between 26 and 28 March, there were three reports of damage to vehicles in attempted break-ins.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated: "Tackling car theft and other neighbourhood crime remains a priority for the Met. We have strengthened neighbourhood policing, with more officers focused on identifying and targeting the most prolific offenders who cause the greatest harm to communities. Across London, vehicle crime, including theft and damage to vehicles, is down by almost 15 per cent compared with this time last year."
Joanna Lumley's Recent Reflections
In a recent interview, Joanna spoke candidly about approaching her landmark 80th birthday and how she had been claiming to be eight decades old for several years already. "It's extraordinary, isn't it? I've been saying I'm 80 for the last two or three years because I thought I was, but I wasn't," she said. "People are making a big hoo-ha about this 80, as if I'm somehow going to be different, as if some huge precipice is reached. I'll be working on my birthday. I'm thrilled and I'm touched that people have remembered and think about it more than I do."
During the same discussion, Joanna also revealed her personal approach to maintaining mental sharpness and vitality. She commented: "Having no certainty keeps you vibrant and engaged. If you're always trying something new."
Alongside her travel programmes, Joanna continues to appear on several shows including Car SOS, Wednesday, and a Sky travel series where she discovers Caribbean locations including Cuba and Haiti. The Mirror has reached out to a representative for Joanna seeking a response to the attempted car theft incident.
