The owner of a vintage scooter stolen 48 hours before it was due to appear on the Antiques Roadshow has appealed to the public for help to track it down. 

Scott Rance, 41, of Church Avenue in Highams Park, had been in touch with the BBC production team about featuring his 1960s Lambretta during the programme's visit to the town hall in Walthamstow on Sunday. 

Experts visited his home a week before it was reported stolen on August 29 and agreed to showcase the Italian-imported item, worth an estimated £3,000.

It was stolen on Friday morning as Mr Rance and his wife spent their first time at home together with their new-born son and daughter.

He had wheeled it outside from his garage to save a parking space for a family visitor and suspects it was stolen between 7.30am and 9am.

Mr Rance said the grey and white scooter is rare as it includes all the original parts and paintwork, but fears it has now been scrapped.  

He said: "I'm gutted, I love the show and I've been watching it for years. I'm just annoyed there are people going around doing this sort of thing. 

Police are appealing for any information or sightings of the scooter, which has the  registration 729 YUU, to call 101 quoting reference number 4917733/14.

For more on this story, see this week's Guardian - out Thursday