Two arrested after £2k worth of tools taken from van

Wiltshire Police said such thefts can have "a huge financial impact on those affected"

Two men have been arrested after £2,000 worth of tools were stolen from a work van.

Wiltshire Police said owner told them the items were taken from his vehicle at about 11:45 GMT on Friday, when it was parked in Washbourne Road in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Officers later arrested two occupants of a black Mazda 3, one of whom fled on foot, but was detained shortly afterwards.

The men, aged 27 and 61, were arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle.

The 27-year-old was further arrested on suspicion of driving without a valid licence and driving without insurance.

"Such thefts can have a huge financial impact on those affected," said Roads Policing Officer Ben Greening.

"The theft of tools has a direct impact on the ability of professional tradespeople to earn a living, aside from the potential cost of replacing these tools."

The police said the owner of the van gave a description of the car and occupants seen leaving the scene.

Twenty-five minutes later, officers were able to track down the vehicle.

Inside it were a "significant" number of tools, thought to have been stolen, said a police spokesperson.

PO Greening added: "We are determined to respond robustly to any such reports, and have recently put additional resources in place to enable us to rapidly respond to any reports."

He asked anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the reported incident or who may have doorbell or dashcam footage to contact 101.