A GWENT man is furious at being forced to pay more than 100 to have his car returned to him after thieves crashed it into another vehicle just yards from his home.

Anthony Griffiths, from West Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, is also angry that two youths, aged 15 and 16, were arrested in connection with the theft and cautioned and released without charge by police.

A machine operator, Mr Griffiths, who is in his 30s, said he also faces a possible car repair bill of several hundred pounds and is paying 8 a day in taxi fares to get to work.

He came home last Saturday to discover his black Skoda Favorit had been stolen in the early hours of the morning from outside his home in Greenwood Avenue.

The thieves only got about 50 yards from the house before they ploughed into another car.

When the police told Mr Griffiths he would have to pay 105 to get the car released after being impounded, he was incensed.

A Gwent Police spokesman said efforts were made to get a response from Mr Griffiths' home after the crash.

But Mr Griffiths said he will refuse to pay the fee and is planning to take legal advice.

He said: "I am so annoyed. It makes me feel so angry that those responsible are just walking away scot-free.

"What sort of message does this send out? That it is okay to steal cars? Why should I be the loser? I'm the innocent party in all this. It just doesn't make sense. I don't understand why the police didn't leave the car where it was because it only got about ten yards from my house.

"It is now costing me 8 a day to get to work by taxi."

Gwent Police said Mr Griffiths' car was taken away within policy guidelines under legislative powers after officers failed to get a response from his house.

A spokesman said the car was unsecured, damaged, had the keys inside it after the collision and it was therefore "safer to recover it".