A Soham businessman has warned van owners to be on alert after thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of equipment.

Tony Chouler, of TC Windows, had a set of specialist surveying tools stolen from his Ford Transit van overnight between last Tuesday and Wednesday (May 12-13), with a neighbour in Holmes Lane also targeted.

Because there was no sign of forced entry, Mr Choulder suspects that the thieves used a device to ‘trick’ his alarm system into believing the correct key had been used.

As a result, the thieves were able to enter and leave his van without the alarm sounding and he was only aware that he had been targeted after his neighbour mentioned that he had had a huge haul of equipment stolen.

The incident is the latest in a recent spate of van thefts, with £10,000 worth of tools stolen from vans in Littleport and Wilburton earlier this year.

Mr Chouler said: “The most annoying things is, all of us work hard and get on with our jobs and you have people who go around thinking they have the right to steal from us.

“My advice to van owners would be to fit additional locks to the front and back doors and make sure you’ve got a bulkhead fitted so it’s not possible to get into the back of the van from the front. Also, make sure you take everything out of the cab overnight.”

Mr Chouler said he would be reviewing the security of his van, and was considering motion sensors and additional locks on the doors, to prevent a reoccurrence.

If you have any information about the incidents, contact Cambridgeshire police on 101.