'I spent my savings on a van that's been stolen'

Linda Griffiths said she was contacted by a friend when the vehicle was not seen on a pub car park

A woman has been left distraught after her camper van, which she said she had spent her life savings on, was stolen from near her home.

Linda Griffiths said the theft was spotted when a friend contacted her to say the van was not parked in its usual place in the car park of The Top House on Bardney Drive in Bulwell.

She said the van contained a number of sentimental items, adding it has left her "feeling like I want to cry all the time".

Nottinghamshire Police said it was appealing for any witnesses who were in the area between 19:00 BST on 18 May and 07:00 on 19 May.

'Understandably distraught'

Ms Griffiths said she had to park the van at the pub because other vehicles were blocking space at the back of her property.

Having bought the vehicle in October - one month after she had taken partial retirement - she said the impact of the theft had been significant.

"Instead of paying my mortgage off I bought the camper van - I was going to use it so me and my dog could go everywhere," she said.

"We were going everywhere, and now we can't, it's just depressed me really.

"I worked all my life for that money."

PC Andy Smith, from Nottinghamshire Police, said the force was "following a number of lines of inquiry".

"It is believed that shortly before the crime was committed, a group of young people on push bikes were seen in and around the pub area and we would like to identify them," he said.

"The victim has spent a considerable amount of money buying the van and renovating the interior and is understandably distraught by what has happened."