A trainee pilot is offering a reward for information leading to the return of a bag containing sensitive documents after it was stolen from his car in Barkingside.

Joseph Hayat, 23, parked his car in Barkingside High Street on Thursday afternoon, but came back to find thieves had broken in and steal his grey laptop and flight bag.

The bag contained aircraft manuals, flight charts and other sensitive documents that could have posed a security risk if they had fallen into the wrong hands.

“Someone could have pretended to be me, got into a light aircraft and done whatever they wanted with it,” Mr Hayat said.

He added: “This was a cowardly, yet sophisticated way to rob me.

“The laptop remains stolen and I’m offering a financial reward for any information that leads to the conviction of these criminals. I wish I’d had the chance to confront the shameful individual.

“This is either a professional criminal operation or an illegal attempt to interfere and disrupt my work.”

On Thursday evening, he received a call from a man who said his dog had found the flight bag on Tomswood Hill, barely a mile from where the theft had occurred.

Mr Hayat said: “I’m very happy it’s been recovered. Community champions like this are very rare.”

The laptop has a distinct dent on its lid due to frequent flying.