Tools worth thousands stolen from community group

Volunteers at the Spelthorne Shed survey the damage caused by burglars

Tools and equipment worth thousands of pounds have been stolen from a community group in Surrey, with its workshop also ransacked.

The Spelthorne Shed was founded in 2015 to help people use their skills and pass them on to others.

The building in Ashford, Surrey, was broken into between last Friday and Monday, when the theft was discovered.

Surrey Police says it is investigating.

Mike Wallin, whose father Fred founded the project, said: "Someone had broken one of the windows and taken some of the power tools, which are really very important to us, and made a bit of a mess as they'd ransacked the place looking for other items.

"We lost a chop saw which was donated by the family of one of our members who recently passed away."

Mr Wallin said: "We've lost some welding equipment and quite expensive impact drivers and drills, so it's certainly going to be a four-figure sum. Whoever entered the shed knew there was going to be things of value in there and managed to get all the valuable things out through the window.

"It wouldn't have been a five-minute job."

Mr Wallin said the chop saw was worth £500.

The burglars broke a window to get into the shed

Although the tools were insured, Mr Wallin says replacing them will take weeks.

Mr Wallin is hoping for loans from other community sheds so Spelthorne's day-to-day work can continue.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: "We have received a report of a commercial burglary at an address on Kingston Road, Ashford. Our enquiries are ongoing."

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