Classic Mk1 Ford Fiesta stolen from Wheeler Dealers TV crew in Pontefract

The restoration of the Mk1 Ford Fiesta 1300S had been a labour of love for the Wheeler Dealers team. Credit: Wheeler Dealers

The presenters of a television show have appealed for help in tracking down a classic car that was stolen from outside their hotel.

Mike Brewer and Marc Priestley, who present Wheeler Dealers, were staying at the Premier Inn, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, ahead of a car show in Sherburn in Elmet.

The TV show, aired on the Discovery channel, sees classic cars being restored and sold for profit.

The car was in this trailer when it was stolen, which the team says it believes "will have had the stickers pulled off". Credit: Wheeler Dealers

But the crew's latest project – a 1979 Mk 1 Ford Fiesta 1300S – went missing overnight on Monday, 26 June.

Brewer and Priestley appeared in a video on social media appealing for help.

Brewer said: "This has been a nuts and bolts restoration.

"I dare to say that we've possibly built the best Mk1 Ford Fiesta in this country - it really is this good."

Priestley added: "We are heartbroken and it's a car that deserves to be out there for the world to see, not squirrelled away on the back of some thief's trailer."

The presenters said they had poured their "heart and soul" in the restoration of the 1979 classic car. Credit: Wheeler Dealers

The car was due to be show at The Motorist, which sees 500 cars from across the country gather to be enjoyed by car enthusiasts.

It was in a covered trailer when it was taken from the hotel on Knottingley Road, Pontefract.

Brewer urged social media users to share pictures of the car, adding: "Please, please help."