"This Dalek's been zapped - by a callous thief with an eye for space monsters. The hi-jacker has stolen the model from its builders Richard Nunes (left) and Sheyne Lucock.
"The two students are pictured here recently with their space-age pal. They were proud of their version of one of the metal-clad evil-doers who plague television's zany timetraveller Doctor Who. It took them six weeks to build.
"But the mystery of its disappearance is a Whodunnit that would baffle even the Doctor. The Dalek was snatched at Imperial College, London, where 20-year old Richard, of Wyatts Drive, Thorpe Bay, is studying physics with Sheyne."
The Dalek's disappearance received wide publicity at the time. It was featured on Shaw Taylor's 'Police Five' crime show, Capital Radio's 'Police Call', and a major item on BBC 1's Blue Peter, with Lesley Judd, Peter Purvis, and John Noaks. Embarrassingly, they even played a recording of my own 'Dalek-voice' yelling 'Exterminate! All Humans Will Be Destroyed!' live on the programme.
Once the Dalek was recovered, there was a follow-up item on Blue Peter to reassure viewers that the Dalek was safe and sound.
