Thomas the train ride stolen and ‘heading for Scotland’
POLICE are on the trail of a thief who took a Thomas the Tank Engine train that was used to ferry holidaymakers along a Suffolk seafront.
The popular attraction, which has two passenger carriages, was taken from a blue shipping container in which it was kept overnight in Lowestoft. Darren Weaver, a friend of the owner, said there was reason to believe it was on its way to Scotland.
He told The Daily Telegraph that the train had recently been put up for sale and had generated a lot of interest from potential buyers around the country.
“One character in particular had made some comments to businesses along the seafront so the police have pursued that line,” he said.
The distinctive blue train, which has a Thomas the Tank Engine face and an orange canopy, is understood to have been advertised on ebay with a reported asking price of £10,000. The owner, who does not want to be identified, told the local newspaper he was “devastated”. He added: “I turned up for work as usual at about 10.45 on Tuesday morning.
“As I was approaching the container where the train is stored, I could tell something wasn’t right. When I got there, I saw the locks had been broken and the train was gone.”
Officers have seized CCTV footage from the area and appealed for witnesses.