Last year it was reported that one of the classic cars belonging to film actor John Travolta had been stolen, but this week it emerged that the vehicle had been recovered, or at least parts of it were being reunited with its famous owner.

The 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL was taken from Travolta after he left it parked outside a showroom, but following the arrest of two men in their 50s, some of the parts of this classic convertible have been found.

The seats, hubcaps and even the speedometer have been discovered, although they are detached from the rest of the car, which may not be much comfort for Mr Travolta.

One of the men arrested, a Mr Rayford, is being sent down for a 16 month sentence and is also going to hand over $50,000 to Mr Travolta, which should go some way towards compensating him for his loss.

However, the car itself is thought to be worth somewhere in the region of $100,000, so the second man, who has plead not guilty to the charges, may have to make up the difference if he is convicted.

These thieves are claimed to have stolen many classic cars as part of a larger criminal group operating in California.