If columnist and food critic Giles Coren thought his battle to keep his motor parked where he left it was just with the council, this morning provided a sharp wakeup call.

Having only just got over his car being towed no fewer than 10 times in recent years (a problem that left him wanting to move to closer the Regis Road car pound) the Kentish Town resident walked out his front door this morning once again unable to find his BMW.

A seemingly endless run of bad luck reached new heights after he discovered his beloved family car was pinched by motor thieves right outside his front door.

Describing the theft as a “real 80s crime”, he told Heathman his fury had now turned from council officers to thieves and insurance salesmen: “My first thought was that it had been towed - yet again.

“But no - this time it’s just been stolen.

“It’s been a massive pain in the arse.

“I’m not confident I’ll be seeing it again. No doubt I’ll only receive a quarter of what the car’s actually worth by the insurance company.

“In fact, the insurance company wouldn’t even give me a courtesy car.

“I pay thousands of pounds to that company and they don’t even lend me a car.

“It’s a first world problem but they’re not looking after me!”

Heathman later found Coren quick to retract his accusations against the poor insurance company, admitting they had “done everything by the book” after he realised he had been “too mean to buy courtesy car cover”.

With Coren now found without car, he has plunged to lows he had previously resisted.

“I was once offered a free car by Audi as they thought I was a celebrity,” he revealed.

“But I turned it down as getting freebies like that isn’t my sort of thing - and because I don’t see myself as a celebrity at all.

“I wouldn’t mind some sort of free Ford Escort now, though.”

While not a PR man for Ford or Audi, who was there offering to save the day for Coren?

Singer/songwriter Chris de Burgh, of course.

The “Lady in Red” and “Perfect Day” star tweeted to Coren: “Hey Giles, that is rotten luck...want to borrow one of mine??”