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A distinctive private ambulance used by a home circumcision service has been stolen after the owner was ambushed while leaving a patient’s house.

The brightly-coloured Audi TT, emblazoned with “medical response” markings, was taken in a violent carjacking in Alderman Avenue, Barking, at about 5.15pm.

The victim said he was walking out of the house when three men “pounced” and stole his keys.

He was too shaken to speak but a friend told the Standard: “He believes they were waiting for him. They pounced on him, they ripped off his keys off his belt, and also stole his watch, before driving off with his car.”

Private ambulance stolen in Barking. If seen, call 999 immediately. If you have info re the theft, call 101. https://t.co/oxmsvwtTnj — Barking&Dagenham MPS (@MPSBarkDag) December 2, 2015

Hundreds of people have shared a photo of the striking private medical car on social media in the hope of tracking it down.

Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information can call police on 101.