A Bristol driver believes he has been punished twice after he had his car stolen, and then had to pay £150 to get it back from police.

Trainee English teacher Ross Wolverson's car was stolen from outside his home in Horfield on June 26 and was later found undamaged by police in nearby Southmead.

But 23-year-old voluntary youth worker Mr Wolverson said that moments before he was due to go and collect his car, as suggested by police, it was impounded and taken away to a compound for the weekend.

Mr Wolverson was then stunned to receive a telephone call from a garage in Shirehampton on June 29 informing him his vehicle was available for collection for £150, with an additional £20 charge for every extra day the car remained at the garage.

The driver, who was told his car was impounded so it could be checked for forensic evidence, said: "As a victim of a crime why am I being punished a second time by the police to retrieve my property which they decided to impound?

"It is unfair, unjust and needs to be challenged. We shouldn't have to pay the police for the privilege of investigating a crime that we are a victim of."

Catherine Foster, spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset police, said: "I can confirm that Mr Wolverson's vehicle was recovered by police after it was involved in a pursuit.

"Officers always endeavour to contact owners as soon possible after their vehicles are found. Unfortunately, police do not have the facilities to store stolen vehicles.

"We therefore use our contractor – Hintons – to recover and store them safely until they are collected. In nearly all cases, the cost of recovery and storage after a theft can be claimed back through the driver's insurance."

Mr Wolverson, who lives in Ashley Down Road, said his Kia Rio car is worth £2,000 and he is comprehensively insured.

But he says he will not claim his £150 back because he doesn't want to lose his six-year no claims bonus.

Mr Wolverson said: "I've paid the £150 because I need my car for the youth work I do for charity. I won't be claiming on my insurance though. Why should I ruin six years of no claims to pay for a police investigation we pay for through our taxes?"

Avon and Somerset police have been recovering stolen vehicles and taking them to a secure compound since May 2002 to prevent them becoming a target for crime or arson. The force says the procedure is in line with national guidelines.

Hintons recovers between 200 and 300 vehicles for the police each month.

In March, 789 vehicles were recovered in the Avon and Somerset police force area, including those driven without insurance, stolen, involved in any other crime or abandoned.

When a stolen vehicle is found by police it is automatically picked up by a recovery firm such as Hintons, who also deal with vehicles that are found abandoned or parked illegally.

In April, police told Adam Nowadczyk they had found his £120 scooter stolen from outside his home in Bedminster – but said he would have to pay at least £150 to get it back.