A Tooting pensioner and former serviceman says he has lost his “last piece of independence” after policemen ploughed into his car and refused to mend it.

Anthony Cox, 68, was shocked to find his Ford Fiesta ruined after police crashed into it outside his home in Charlmont Road in the middle of the night.

Police officials later said repairs would be “uneconomical”, advised him to scrap it and offered a measly £250- not enough to make repairs or buy another car.

His daughter, 40-year-old Deedee Hildreth, said: “It’s disgraceful. He’s never broken the law in his life and he’s always spoken up for the police.

“He’s on his own and the car was his last piece of independence. All that’s been taken away from him.”

Mr Cox, who served in the RAF and has lived in Tooting for 40 years, used the car to pick up his grandson from school and to visit family in Bromley.

Although the car was old, it was perfectly road worthy and had just passed its MOT.

But after the incident in the early hours of Tuesday, August 25, the wheels and chassis were ruined, with repairs estimated at up to £1,000.

Mrs Hildreth added: “The police always seem to have the cash to supply themselves with brand new cars which they can crash then find the money to repair- why can't they just fix what they have broken?”

A police spokesman said repairs would be made to such vehicles unless they were deemed “a total loss”.

They added: “Enquiries were conducted by a qualified engineer as to the pre-accident value of the vehicle and assessed that the cost of repairs would, by far, exceed that valuation. As a result a financial offer was made to the claimant.

“The use of a free courtesy car was offered until such time that the matter was resolved.”