A Croydon motorist has fallen foul to a group of rogue rodents who gnawed their way through parts of his new car.
Tony Steeles, from Croydon, found parts of his brand new Toyota Aygo chewed to bits by hungry squirrels just days after buying it.
He has had to pay for repeated repair bills after finding his aerial, oxygen sensor and rubber trims all damaged by the furry fiends.
"I keep my car in the garage now, and it's a bit inconvenient to do that, but that way I can be sure it won't happen again," he told motoring magazine AutoExpress.
Strangely, Mr Steeles' vehicle was the only victim on his road, prompting speculation as to whether Toyota's research into plant-based plastics is the key to the squirrels' behaviour.
Parts of the Aygo are manufactured from plastics derived from sources such as the castor oil plant.
Rodents have been known to eat the electrical wiring from cars, roof insulation and even gnaw through the brake cables.
A car engine's warmth also provides a cosy nesting place for the animals during the winter months.
A Toyota spokesman told the magazine it would "investigate if any improvements can be made to the design of our products to deter rodents".
Mr Steeles has since swapped his Aygo for a Toyota Yaris.
