Shock as thieves rip open van and steal Â£4,000 of tools

Rob Bulpett, 21, got a late-night call on Tuesday saying thieves had targeted a van owned by his employer, Chichester company Express Electrical Services. Rob said: “Initially when they said someone tried to break I did not think they were successful. “We watched the CCTV, I watched £4000 worth of stuff get stolen.” Rob said about £1,200 worth of the tools were his, many of them brand new. “I have been an electrician the last two or three years. “My parents decided to buy me a lot of tools in bulk for Christmas.” He is calling for anyone with any information to get in touch, and for police to crack down on tool thefts. Rob said: “It is clearly an ongoing thing, my cousin got his stolen nine months ago. “I just hope to catch these people.” Van owner and company director Darryll Mendoza said: “About 8pm someone knocked on the door and said ‘your van has been broken into’. “On CCTV you can see them pull up in a car. “They smashed the driver’s side quarter window. “And then you see them rip open the door and steal all the tools.” Darryll, 50, said he thinks the thieves used a crowbar to get in and then released the back door of the van from the inside. He added: “When I actually saw the CCTV image it was quite a shock, to think that in a residential area someone would do that. “I would say you are probably looking at over £4,000 worth of equipment.” Darryll added that one of the most surprising things he saw on the CCTV was one of the thieves casually waiting near the van before the theft. “He was just sat on the bonnet of his car waiting for a car to go past.” Anyone with any information should call police on 101 or email Darryll via: info@express-electrical-services.co.uk. Sussex Police has been approached for comment.