A “toothless” thief stole a car then tormented its owner by sending a snap of the vehicle being destroyed, it has been claimed.

George Wood said he listed his silver Ford Fiesta on Facebook marketplace when he was contacted by a potential buyer.

The 21-year-old agreed to let the stranger take the car and pay later, but when he did not receive a cash transfer, he anxiously sent a flurry of texts to the culprit who responded: “You won’t be getting your money but you will be getting a punch in the mouth”.

Mr Wood, from Ashford, released a plea on social media in the hope to track down the suspect.

To his shock, he received a picture of his Fiesta being scrapped accompanied with the words “haha try and find your car now,” from who he believes was the suspect.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got the picture,” Mr Wood said.

“I called all the scrapping yards in the area and one confirmed that my silver Fiesta had been scrapped.

“I’ve gone to the police but nothing seems to be getting done."

Mr Wood described the suspect, who was unknown to him, as male, wearing a dark tracksuit, in his early 30s, dark skin, 5ft 7” with a local accent and no teeth.

He was accompanied by a woman who was with a young child.

Mr Wood, who went to The Lenham School formerly known as Swadelands, said he was selling the car for between £280 and £350.

“I thought they were just going to pay and that would be the end of it, but you can’t be too trusting," Mr Wood added.

“I want to warn other people to watch out for things like this happening.”

Police spokesman Natalie Hardy confirmed officers are investigating. She said: “The vehicle had been listed for sale online and the reported theft relates to dispute between the original owner and a prospective purchaser."