Plasterer’s van stolen in Hornchurch

A plasterer has been left �700 out of pocket after his work van was stolen while he was unloading his materials.

Dave Creedon has hit out at the opportunist thief who targeted him when he was just feet away in Hillview Avenue, Hornchurch on Tuesday July 3 at 2.30pm.

He said: “I am still in shock.

“I find it really surreal that my van was stolen from under my nose, I couldn’t have been more than three feet away.”

Dave, from Harlow had pulled up just 20 minutes earlier and was unloading his white transit van when he heard the engine start.

He thought it was another van parked further up the road, but when he turned around he saw that the oppertunist thief had made off with his van.

He said: “The person that did this had no fear, he didn’t care that I was just three feet away.

“If I had turned around seconds earlier I would have seen him and then it would have been a completely different story.”

Dave, who is self emoloyed made an attempt to chase after the van, but gave up when he saw the van speed off down the road.

He saw the van, come back on the road again, while he was on the phone to the police.

Dave believes that the incident could set him back up to �700 as the van contained most of his materials and tools.

He said: “He had no fear whatsoever.

“He had the audacity to steal the van when my back was turned and then to drive it back on the same road that he had taken it from.”

Dave has been forced to use his car for work, but is appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The white transit van has plastercraft written on the doors.

He said: “This is my livelihood, a car is just not suitable for me to do my work because I need to put things on the roof.

“The van would be hard to miss and I think it could just be sitting there outside someone’s drive.”

Anyone with information should call the police on 101.