Binmen united in a bid to find a colleague's stolen car - then gave him the best birthday present he ever had.

Mark Sandell asked his workmates to watch out for his missing Volvo as they did their regular rounds in Worthing.

The car was taken as Mark played cricket near his home in Penfold Road, Worthing, on Sunday.

His trousers, containing his car keys, were stolen from the side of the pitch at Manor cricket ground. The thief then tracked down his car and took that too.

Mark celebrated his 35th birthday on Wednesday, still hoping the police would manage to find his car.

But it was the crew of another dust cart that was able to give him a belated birthday present yesterday when they spotted the car abandoned in another part of town.

Mark said: "I was ecstatic. I thought they were pulling my leg. It was the best birthday present I've ever had.

"I'd told all my colleagues what had happened and asked them to keep an eye out. We'd all been on the lookout during our rounds but had not seen it.

"Then I got a call from one of the lads saying he thought he'd spotted my car. He told me the registration number and I said, 'you can't be serious. I can't believe it'.

"I thought it was some sort of joke. I've been a binman for four or five years and we're all really good mates. We go out for a drink together. They wouldn't let me down.

"I went down and got the car and I was so happy. I could have jumped over it."

Mark had been playing cricket for Rustington Barbarians when the thief struck.

He said: "We'd been told not to leave our stuff in the changing rooms so we all took our clothes outside and put them next to the pitch.

"My team went out to field first and when I came out I looked across and saw the car was gone.

"I was in a blind panic, went to check my stuff and realised my Adidas tracksuit trousers were gone.

"There was a brand new packet of cigarettes in one pocket and my car keys in another.

"I've had about five cars in my driving career and four have been stolen.

I've managed to get them all back somehow.

"I haven't got my trousers back though - or my packet of fags."