Car thief scared off by large dog

A car thief in Devon, England, got just 30 yards before abandoning his stolen 4x4, spooked by a sleeping Great Dane that awoke in the back seat.

The vehicle's owner, Nick Griggs, said the thief must have run out of the car as soon as he saw his dog, Diesel, stirring in the back seat, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

"I'd love to have seen the look on his face when he saw Diesel," Griggs said. "He must have got the shock of his life. There's no alarm, but who needs one when you've got the Hound of the Baskervilles in your back seat?"

The car was taken after Griggs's wife, Karen, left the keys in the ignition while picking up the couple's two children from school. She said Diesel is actually a very gentle dog, and he "would have thought it was time for walkies" when he woke up in the back seat.

"He's a big softie -- if the guy had hung around he'd have licked his hands and face. He's very good with strangers," she said.