A newly-wed couple say they are devastated after vandals stole, torched and dumped their car in a pond, totally destroying their precious wedding photos.

Maria and Angus McRae now face forking out hundreds of pounds to replace their official wedding pictures after they found their photo album burnt black and submerged in water.

Maria and Angus' red Nissan Micra was stolen on Friday, July 1, at around 2am from outside their home in Rochford Way, Croydon. It contained the couple's professional wedding photos from their big day on June 4.

The couple were hoping the pictures may have either been discarded by the car thieves, or may still be with the vehicle somewhere. But these hopes were dashed on Saturday when Angus, 37, spotted the car submerged in a pond on Mitcham Common while walking his daughter to her school fete.

Maria, 31, said: "As he passed a pond, he noticed a car similar to ours had been set on fire and dumped in there with another vehicle. He recognised some items which had been scattered around the area and realised it was our car."

Angus waded into the water and fished out the A5, blue flip wedding album with all 80 photographs charred black and completely sodden.

Maria added: "He found some of the negatives and we're going to see if we can get anything from them, but they are water damaged so we're not pinning our hopes on it.

"My husband accidentally left the pictures in the car because we had been taking the album to show the pictures to our relatives.

"At first I thought the car would be found with our photos in it, or that the thieves chucked them out somewhere.

"But I feel crushed that this has happened. I am not sure that the pictures will be covered by our insurance. It cost £600 for the photographer and the professional pictures. I think our photographer is going to try and do a deal to get replacement pictures, but it is still going to cost a lot of money.

"These pictures were a photographic record of the happiest day of our life and have been destroyed by mindless vandals."