Mod Barry Childs spent two years lovingly bringing a vintage 1960s Lambretta scooter back to life – only for it to be stolen from outside his house.
Decked out with an array of mirrors and lights, it was the ultimate accessory for the 70-year-old, as well as being his pride-and-joy.
"To be honest, the theft has made me feel quite ill," said Barry, who has owned the scooter for about eight years.
"It was probably worth £4,000 or £5,000, maybe more to someone who really wanted it.
"It was a nest egg for me and my wife. When it was imported a few years ago, it was covered in cobwebs and in need of a lot of attention.
"I spent a lot of time getting it back to what it was when it first came out of the factory in Italy in the 1960s. It was beautiful.
"It was a real labour of love.
"I used to ride scooters all over the place back in the 1960s. I used to go to all the ska nights, too.
"They were good days, but there's still a lot of interest in the whole Mod thing today.
"The Lambretta was always the ultimate scooter for the Mods. Mine was perfect."
Barry, who is originally from Birmingham, met his wife, Hazel, four years ago.
The couple got married in September.
Hazel, 66, said: "Barry has only recently lost his brother to cancer and then this happened. We've been on a bad run, to say the least.
"People have knocked on the door time and again and asked to buy it, but Barry would never sell it because it means so much to him.
"He spent two years doing it up and searching for all the parts. It took some doing but he got it looking perfect.
"He was absolutely devastated when it was stolen."
The scooter was taken from the driveway outside the couple's home in Main Street, Humberstone, Leicester, between 4pm on Sunday, November 11, and 8.30am the next day.
Earlier this month, Leicestershire Police issued a photograph of the scooter – registration 247 UXV – which was published along with an appeal for information in the Leicester Mercury.
Despite the appeal, nobody has come forward to report sightings of the scooter.
Police community support officer Cameron Messiah said: "The victim has been left devastated by the theft. If anyone recognises the scooter and has seen it either parked or being driven around, we would urge you to contact us so we can reunite it with its owner and identify those responsible for the theft.
"If you witnessed anyone acting suspiciously in Main Street between the times above or you know anything about the incident, we would urge you to contact us."
Contact Pcso Messiah on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.
