Trader wants to move from Everton after tools snatched from van twice in months

A TRADESMAN used to “dodgy areas” says he feels unsafe due to the crime in his Forest village and is now looking to leave a matter of months after moving in.

More than £10,000 in tools were taken from the 36-year-old carpenter’s van, which was parked outside his Everton home, in two raids, the latest last Wednesday night.

The victim, who wants to remain anonymous, told the A&T he felt “unsafe” in his home on a small close in the village.

“What happens next? What if they don’t find tools in the van, are they going to come into the house?” the trader said.

“I don’t go to sleep till really late because I’m staying up to listen out.

“I just feel completely unsafe.”

He added: “I’ve got a three-year-old and his bedroom is about 3ft from my van. It’s weird to think that someone – a trespasser – has been in my garden, breaking into my van, and they’re only 3-4ft away from my child.”

He discovered the latest raid after hearing the back door of his Ford Transit close just after 10pm, going outside to see what he believed was the offenders’ car driving away.

Although usually having alarms and sensors around his van, these had not activated on the night of the break-in.

They had been going off repeatedly in recent weeks, and he assumed passing pedestrians accidentally set them off.

“Now I’ve put two and two together, I realise [the thieves] have been trying the van on numerous occasions and, because the alarm wasn’t set this time, they got lucky.”

This was the second time his tools were stolen – last September, weeks after he moved in, the side of his van was ripped open.

As well as the financial implication of replacing the stolen tools, he lamented the loss of about £1,000 of earnings through cancelled labour.

Having finally returned to work on Tuesday, he thanked generous friends and fellow traders for lending him a supply of tools.

The Makita gear stolen last Wednesday included circular saws, nail guns, a jigsaw and an angle grinder.

“These are very good tools that had taken me years to collect and I use every day, and they’re swiped within a matter of minutes,” the trader of nearly 20 years said.

“I’ve parked my van in some dodgy areas while living in London and Bristol, but it was never broken into.

“But now I’ve been broken into twice since moving to Everton. We’re talking over £10,000 worth of kit in those times.

“I know that the first time it happened, a number of other vans were also broken into.”

He added: “I’m appalled. It’s really crap here, and I just want to move. I’m going to actively start looking to move.”

Police are investigating the raid, along with an attempt to break into a silver Vauxhall Vivaro van outside an address in Yeovilton Close the same night.

An attempt was also made to break into a shed at the rear of the property, and a Ring doorbell camera was stolen from a neighbouring address.

Witnesses and those with relevant CCTV footage are being asked to come forward.

Those with information should contact officers online at hampshire.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting reference 44240140564 (tools theft) or 44240141439 (Yeovilton Close incidents).

Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously at crimestoppers-uk.org or on 0800 555 111.