A HADDINGTON joiner has been overwhelmed by the support he has received from an online fundraising page aimed at replacing his van and all of his tools after they were stolen at the weekend.

Nathan Thomas, 30, owns Thomas & Co. Joinery and on Sunday he woke up to find out his van stolen, with all of his tools in the back.

Nathan’s wife Trudi said: “On Sunday we woke to find that his van had been stolen – every single one of his tools was in the back.

“We later found out from the police that it had been taken between 10.30-11pm on Saturday night... we were watching TV and didn’t hear a thing.”

Nathan’s business is a small, local business only set up last year and it took him over 10 years to build up the volume and quality of tools he had.

Trudi said Nathan “takes pride in having the best quality tools in order to do the best quality job”.

Excluding the van, the estimated value of the tools taken is almost £15,000 and something his insurance does not cover.

Nathan said: “I want to make other tradesmen and businesses aware as my means of making a living was literally taken overnight.

“We’ve been totally blown away by the completely unexpected response. We really appreciate it.”

Donations from friends and family poured into the fundraising page, raising over £3,000 in three days.

One donation of £200 came from East Lothian Glass and Glazing Ltd, who said: “Having worked with Nathan and knowing what a great joiner he is, we wanted to help out in any way possible.”

An anonymous donation of £750 was also made, with the person simply saying: “A worthy recipient. Best joiner ever.”

Nathan thanked Howdens Joinery in Dunbar, who were very supportive to him during this time.