AN ANGRY motorist had to stump up more than £100 to get back her stolen car - after it was found abandoned only 200 yards from her York home.

The car was towed all the way to the other side of the city and the recovery fee was more than the cost of damage caused to the car.

But North Yorkshire Police said today that all abandoned cars were removed to a secure location to prevent them being stolen again or damaged, and to allow officers to search for clues.

Sue Todd discovered her E-registration Astra had been stolen from outside her home in The Reeves, Acomb, on Sunday morning.

She phoned the police, who found it two hours later behind the nearby White Rose pub. In line with force policy, the car was towed to a secure compound on the Malton Road, from where Ms Todd was told to collect it - in return for a payment of £123.38.

"I could have pushed it home myself from where it was found," she said.

"It wouldn't have taken them a minute to tell me it was behind the pub, and I don't think it's right that victims of crime should have to pay to get their property back."

Ms Todd, 48, said that when a previous car was stolen last year, police had removed electrical leads from it so it couldn't be stolen again and had asked her to pick up the leads then collect her car.

"I was quite happy with that, but I'm infuriated now," she added. Inspector Ken Gill, of York police, said it was now force policy for all stolen vehicles to be recovered and taken to a secure location.

He said that in the past, police had phoned the owners of stolen cars to tell them where their vehicle was, only for it to be stolen again or vandalised before it was picked up.

"We are looking at the bigger picture, and this way is better than leaving stolen vehicles all over the city and asking people to go and collect them," he said.

Updated: 11:15 Saturday, March 10, 2001