Thieves steal engine from charity's van in Rugby

Thieves broke into the depot in Paynes Lane and stole the van's engine and even the driver's seat

Thieves have stolen the engine from a charity's van, its "whole front end" and even the driver's seat.

Tools With A Mission [TWAM], which sends refurbished tools and sewing machines to Africa, estimated it would cost it £20,000.

Thieves broke into their depot in Paynes Lane, Rugby earlier this week and stripped their van.

Centre Manager Nigel Hyde said it would have a "huge" impact on the charity's work and he felt "really disappointed".

Volunteers at the centre say they are "gutted" by the theft

Mr Hyde said: "The whole front end had gone, the engine had gone and so on. It's really, really gutting because this was our livelihood."

Simon Danks from TWAM said they had to hire a van and were fundraising to cover a shortfall of about £20,000.

"That will radically slowdown the tools coming into this centre, which means that probably we delay at least one container leaving Rugby," he said.

From its centres, the charity, which works with volunteers in the UK, takes about 220 tonnes of unwanted equipment and tools to Africa each year, currently working with six countries.

Nigel Hyde is manager of the centre which opened last year

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