Essex tradesman finds the entire front of his van stolen

A tradesman was left “completely bemused” after the entire front of his van was stolen.

Self-employed plasterer Kieran Alston woke to find his bonnet, headlights and bumper had been removed in Waltham Abbey, Essex on Monday, 28 July but his tools remained inside the vehicle.

The 38-year-old said: “I felt like I was dreaming. I thought, this can’t be real, this can’t be happening.”

Friends in a work group chat told him they were aware of similar incidents in the area recently. Essex Police confirmed it was investigating.

“There is just a massive spate of this going down at the moment,” Mr Alston added.

“They’ve not even tried to get through the back doors to get to my tools. That’s what makes me sort of think that’s exactly what they were there for.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve done a bit of reconnaissance on this, driven around, looking for one that they want, and then just waited for the perfect time.”

Chelmsford-based mechanic John Tinham said the front of a vehicle could be stolen in “less than 10 minutes” and the parts alone would cost “a couple of grand” to replace.

He said parts like this might sell illegally for between £500 and £600 or could be used by people trying to repair their own vehicle after an accident.

Mr Alston said he only financed the vehicle in December and was worried about the impact on his business but said a friend had offered him work in the meantime.

Police said the theft happened between 01:00 BST on Sunday, 27 July and 06:15 the following morning, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.