Iris Stockwell’s smile lights up the room, which is surprising considering what the 91-year-old Tauranga resident has endured over a 24 hour period on the weekend.

“It’s faith that helps us through these thing,” says the keen swimmer, who is reflecting on the sequence of events that followed her car being stolen in front of her on Saturday afternoon.

Parking her 2008 Nissan Tiida in the Maxwells Road Freedom Camping car park, she had decided to cool off with a swim.

“At two o’clock I went to the Otūmoetai Causeway, where I swim regularly during the summer time amongst a lot of other people. I knew it was two o’clock because the tide was full in.”

Iris Stockwell's car, which was taken from her at the Maxwell Road Freedom Camping car park. Photo: Supplied.

Iris, who is well-known for being a Greerton Pool regular for over 50 years, also frequently swims from the railway bridge down to the Chapel Street bridge and back.

“That’s my normal swim,” says Iris.

“I got out, had a shower, got dressed, got into my motor car, and because of the silly Council bollards that are stuck all around there, I didn’t want to damage the car as I’d already hit one the other day. I was wriggling and jiggling and I stepped out of the car because there was a chap standing behind me.

“He said to me “I’ll help you”. I said “no, no, it will be alright”. He said “no, no, I’ll help”, I said “alright”.

“And with that, he got in the car, and then I stood there with my mouth open because he drove out the park and straight down the road. I kept thinking “you’re not testing my car to see if it’s going alright, where are you disappearing to?” And that was the last I saw of my car.”

The thief's abandoned blue Daihatsu Terios is near the awkwardly placed wooden bollards at the Maxwell Road Freedom Camping car park which can make it difficult for drivers to reverse out of their park. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Inside the car were her mobile phone, her Kindle, her driver’s licence, and her purse “with a little bit of change in case I want an ice cream”.

“But there was nothing really desperately urgent in it,” says Iris.

“I did wear my new togs which had cost me over $200 and I’d had one swim in them. But apart from that there wasn’t anything of value in the car.”

In that immediate moment, she felt disbelief.

“I didn’t get all in a tizz. The next minute, John, one of the regulars [swimmers] pulled in and I said to him “you’ll never guess what – my car’s just been stolen”.

She says John took her straight to the police station in central Tauranga.

“But I couldn’t remember what my vehicle registration was. So we had to come home, find the papers, and John took it back to the police. So that was all sorted. The main thing was to get the number plate to Police.”

She says it’s through going to the same beach that she and John have become friends, and she’s very grateful for his care and help.

“My two nieces are wonderful, they also contacted the Police and State Insurance, because we had to get a number from State Insurance also, to give to Police. So it was a slow process until that was all settled. My nieces did that for me, because my hearing’s not the best.”

Iris Stockwell has been swimming at Greerton Pool for more than 50 years, since the pool first opened there in 1971. Photo: Scott Yeoman.

Despite the traumatic incident, she went to bed Saturday night and found she was able to sleep.

“I was surprised that I actually didn’t sleep too badly. I was expecting to go to bed and toss and turn but I only woke up a couple of times. Went to church the next morning.”

A freedom camper at the scene says the car thief left a vehicle behind in the car park. A blue 2003 Daihatsu Terios packed with belongings with one wheel up on the curb has been left next to the public toilets.

He says the blue Daihatsu has now been abandoned in the car park.

“The neighbour across the road saw a young guy with no shirt in the blue car that fits the description of the guy who took the car. He says he was pushing his car into the car park and it wouldn’t start.

“I’d say he’s just randomly seen that older lady. She was reversing out of the carpark and he came up to her and said he would help her, he jumped in the car and just drove off in it.

“His car that he drove a car into the carpark is still parked there. It’s a blue Daihatsu and appears to be abandoned.

“For a 91 year old, it’s a real mongrel thing to do. In broad daylight, in front of people.”

The abandoned blue Daihatsu Terios at the Maxwell Road Freedom Camping car park. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The freedom camper says there have been other incidents of antisocial behaviour at the car park and surrounding area.

“The cops go to the backpackers three to four times a week. About six to seven weeks ago we had a big brawl on the beach in front of families.”

There appear to be no CCTV cameras at the Maxwells Road Freedom Camping car park, although there is a camera located on the corner of Chapel Street and Maxwells Road.

A Maxwells Road resident also says there have been numerous incidents of fighting at the car park.

“Every time there’s a concert at Tauranga Domain, people are overnighting in the car park, and we can have up to 20-30 people fighting about once a month. The last time was just before Christmas.”

“Everyone is sick of it,” says the freedom camper. “There’s been no legislation for the homeless in Tauranga and something needs to be done.

“I’m furious that this has been done to an old lady. She’s out driving her car at 91 and that could be the last little thing she needs to lose her confidence. She may be feeling foolish and feeling things that she shouldn’t be having to feel.”

Iris says once Police received her report on Saturday night, they sent through a report update to her with a case file number.

“And also a query asking if I would like support from Victim Support,” says Iris.

“And of course, I said no, but my son and my daughter say I should have said yes, because they [Victim Support] are not there just to support you physically, they’re there to tell you options and discuss things with you.”

Iris Stockwell's car was found by Police the next day with the thief nearby. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Iris’s stolen car was spotted by Police on Sunday about 5.30pm, parked in the Greerton Road public car park.

“My son was over from Karapiro, doing the Half Marathon, so I’d been talking to him. He came and picked me up at 4pm to go to my niece’s 50th birthday party. And that was where I got the news.”

“My other niece phoned my son and said “we’ve just seen the car and it’s okay”.”

Police also apprehended the car thief who was near the car.

“The vehicle has been located,” says a police spokesperson.

“A 26-year-old man has been charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and theft.”

Iris says the recovery of her car is due to the quick action by Police “and also my car has tamper proof number plates put on by the Community Patrol so they can’t take them off”.

“They can’t easily be removed,” says Iris, who is delighted that her car has been returned undamaged.

“It was really just an opportunist grabbing the chance to get wheels underneath him,” says Iris.

“Sunday night I slept like a log. The drama was over. The minister mentioned it in church and I’ve since contacted him and said ‘it’s got a happy ending’.

"I haven't lost faith in those around me, as I know that there are more good people in the world than those who do silly things. This is what helps me sleep well at night," says Iris.

Police say the man charged with unlawfully taking the vehicle and theft is due to appear in the Tauranga District Court on February 8.