Car stops working after squirrel stuffs it with acorns

A holidaymaker returned from a break to find his car wasn't working - after a squirrel stuffed the mechanics full of dozens of acorns.

Andrew Wilkins, 25, says the rodent stashed its hoard of nuts throughout his Volkswagen Golf.

His vehicle was turned into a winter supply store by the squirrel who hid the acorns in the gearbox, the glove compartment and inside the bonnet.

The stash was only discovered when Andrew, an estate agent from Reigate in Surrey, took his car to a garage because he was unable to change gear easily.

Andrew and his girlfriend, Jen, 26, a carer, flew out of the UK on 20 November to travel around Vietnam, Thailand and India for five weeks.

While they were away, Andrew left his car at Jen's father's home near Crawley in Sussex.>When they arrived back on 23 December, he was dismayed to find the gearstick of his car, which he paid £10,000 for in 2014, was stiff and changing gear was difficult.>On 29 December, he took the car to the PTA garage in Oxted, Surrey.>While tidying the car before handing it over to a mechanic, he opened his glove compartment and made the discovery.

Half an hour later, Andrew received a call telling him the true extent of the damage the mischievous squirrel wreaked on his car.

Mechanics made another discovery and found a dead rat inside the car's bonnet.>Removing the acorns and the rodent took two hours of work and Andrew was charged £168 by the garage.