Circus owner says caravan theft in Whitby 'feels personal'

The caravan which was stolen while parked in Whitby

A circus owner has written a public letter to the thieves who stole his touring caravan in Whitby.

The Bailey Pageant Vendee belonging to Let's Circus was parked in Botany Way and is thought to have been taken between 20:00 BST and 21:00 on 5 June.

Owner Steve Cousins described the theft as a "massive blow".

Sharing a Facebook appeal in which he directly addressed the thieves, he told them they had "stolen our livelihood". Police said they were investigating.

Let's Circus, which is originally from Newcastle but does most of its work across Yorkshire, was due to embark on a tour from Yorkshire to Scotland and to the Channel Islands.

However, Mr Cousins said he was unsure whether he would be able to afford to replace the caravan, which he said was like a second home to him, his wife and daughter.

The family have now been forced to pay for hotels and are struggling to meet their work commitments.

Mr Cousins said: "It feels personal to me. Whoever looked inside thought 'this is a circus person's caravan' - it's covered in stars, circus posters on the inside as well as costumes.

"Whoever's taken it, they do realise they have taken someone's livelihood and not just someone's posh caravan."

Steve Cousins [pictured in the centre back with his wife] said the theft was a "massive blow"

He added: "It's a massive blow, it's sad. We are a group bringing joy to the local community and now that joy has been compromised.

"If someone is going to take a caravan which is going to cost me around £7,000 to replace and they make a grand selling parts from it, the value it has to them is so much less than the value it has to me."

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police confirmed officers were investigating the theft and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.