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There are few things about David Beckham - whether his hairstyle or tattoos - could be described as mundane.
But the tale of his stolen BMW X5, which may, or may not be in the hands of a high-ranking Macedonian politician, is beginning to border on the bizarre.
The strange story began a year ago when thieves stole the £75,000 ($202,366) car from an underground carpark while the footballer and his family lunched near their Madrid home.
Resprayed and its details altered, it travelled through Greece and several owners later turned up in the town of Debar in Macedonia.
Last November police came across the BMW during a raid on a smuggling gang near the Albanian border and impounded it, initially oblivious to the fact that it had once belonged to Beckham.
Instead of auctioning it off, as would normally be the case with unclaimed property, it was decided that the armour-plated, luxury 4x4 would make an ideal official vehicle with the latest beneficiary being Gordana Jankulovska, Macedonia's Minister for Internal Affairs, according to local newspapers.
Yesterday Jankulovska reportedly offered to return the vehicle she had been driving to the former England captain if it was proved to have been his stolen car.
However she said the Balkan country's laws demand he come and pick it up himself.
"I am a big fan and I am hoping he will come to pick up the car so I can meet him and hand over the keys in person," the 30-year-old told the Belgrade-based Radio B92.
"I would be happy to give it back and delighted to personally hand him the keys of his stolen car that was found here in Macedonia," she added for emphasis.
Although there is some embarrassment among Government officials that their gain is allegedly Beckham's loss, they insist they were within their rights to use the car as no one had come forward to claim it.
"Before it reached Macedonia this vehicle had changed hands 20 times in Spain so we still have no proof that it belonged to Beckham," said police spokesman Ivo Kotevski.
But Jankulovska insisted that the BMW would be returned to its rightful owner, should that turn out to be the famous sportsman.
"This car changed a number of owners before and some of the numbers were changed in an illegal way. It is impossible to have a final confirmation that this is the car," she said. "If no owner claims the property, the car can be auctioned or kept for state use," she told the BBC.
It remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old footballer, who is due to leave Real Madrid to join the Los Angeles Galaxy team for a package said to be worth a total of £130 million, thinks it is worth the trip.
- Independent
