A thief has been jailed for 22 months for stealing a replica of the Weasleys’ Ford Anglia car from the Harry Potter films.

Richard Matthews, 37, of Folkestone, Kent, pleaded guilty to the burglary of a garage in Walmer during which he stole the painstakingly-restored classic car.

A Kent Police spokesman said: “The pale blue Ford Anglia, which had been a replica of the Weasleys’ car from the Harry Potter films, was stolen from a Walmer garage by 37-year-old Richard Matthews in October 2019.

“However, a media appeal and investigation using CCTV stills led to his identification and subsequent arrest.”

PC Katie Clarke said: “Like all burglars, Matthews showed little respect for other people’s property, taking what didn’t belong to him, for his own selfish reasons.

“Since his arrest, Matthews has not been willing to say where the car is, which is so disappointing for the victim, who put a lot of time into restoring and customising the vehicle.

“I would hope Matthews develops a sense of decency regarding the loss and considers the impact of his actions.”