Trade vans targeted by thieves

POLICE are investigating reports of several thefts from vans in a single night in one village.

Tradesmen living in Ystrad, Rhondda, reported thousands of pounds’ worth of stolen tools on Wednesday morning after finding their vehicles had been broken into over night.

Self-employed roofer Martin Lewis, 45, said he had equipment worth about £3,000 taken from his van some time between 9pm on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

The door of the van, which was parked outside his house on Cross Street, had been damaged and all the tools taken from inside.

“I went out to go to work and I found that the door of my van wasn’t shut,” he said. “I opened it up and I every single tool of mine was gone.”

Mr Lewis works at his company Seren Roofing with his 21-year-old son Tommi.

“Some of the tools were his as well,” Martin said. “I bought them for him as gifts. The more progress in work he makes, I buy him tools.”

He said throughout the following day he received calls from other tradesmen he knew who worked nearby who said they had also had their vans broken into.

Matthew Husband, 26, said he had tools stolen from his van on the same night while it was parked near his girlfriend’s home on River Street, Pentre.

The self-employed carpenter said he had been forced to replace the tools that had been taken the next day, costing him more than £1,500.

“Christmas is just around the corner and I can’t afford to be out of work to be honest,” Matthew said. “It makes me sick. I know I have spent all that money on these tools and somebody is going to sell them.”

Martin Bunting, 47, of Danygraig, said he recorded thieves opening the rear door of his van on his home CCTV system at about 9.50pm on Tuesday night, but didn’t notice the theft until the morning.

“I didn’t really notice until I got up in the morning at about 6.40am to unlock my van and the back door was ajar a bit,” Martin said.

“I had about £1,000 worth of tools taken.”

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: “If anyone has any information about these thefts or if you saw anything suspicious in these areas, please call 101 quoting logs 1700414348 and 1700414350.”