Coronavirus: Doctor's car fixed for free after parts stolen

Tom Rontree-Carey has been working with coronavirus patients on the respiratory ward at the Royal Gwent Hospital

A doctor working on the coronavirus front line has said he was "incredibly grateful" after his car was fixed for free after a part was stolen.

Tom Rontree-Carey, 28, had just finished a shift at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport when he found his Toyota Prius was not working properly.

A mechanic told him the catalytic converter had been stolen while he was working at the hospital that day.

But after a Facebook post from his father, the part was replaced for free.

The part from Dr Rontree-Carey's car was stolen last Thursday.

Dr Rontree-Carey got his car back just days after it was stolen

The doctor, who is in his first foundation year after qualifying from King's College London, was training in surgery at the Royal Gwent Hospital, but was diverted to the respiratory unit to look after coronavirus patients during the crisis.

He said: "I had been at work at the Gwent and I came back to the staff car park and started my car up, and it made this awful noise, almost like you were revving the engine."

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He said he turned the car on and off again and was able to drive a short distance, but called a mechanic once the noise started again.

"He jacked it up and said 'the catalytic converter has been stolen'. He told me it had definitely been stolen while I was at work as I couldn't have driven there without it," Dr Rontree-Carey added.

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Dr Rontree-Carey's father posted information about what had happened on Facebook, and soon an offer for free parts came in from Fast Parts Wales in Cwmbran.

The part was then fitted, also for free, by AJ Garage Services in Caerleon, Newport.

He said: "The theft was a hard feeling to describe because I didn't really believe it. The more you think about it the more reprehensible it becomes. This happened when we're supposed to be in lockdown.

"That did make me feel very disappointed in people, but it was the complete opposite of that when it got fixed for free. I was just incredibly grateful. It was a nice feeling.

"I dropped off some beers at the garages to say thank you."