A RETIRED joiner from Longniddry is appealing for information after his van was stolen from his driveway.

Iain Rowberry, 65, noticed that his van was missing from his driveway on Wemyss Road last Tuesday at about 8.30am.

It is thought that the van was stolen some time between mid-afternoon on the Monday and 8am on the Tuesday.

A dark grey Ford Transit with registration plate SL60 YRN, it was originally bought for £17,000 but now has an estimated value of £6,000.

Since retiring from joinery, Mr Rowberry offers his services as a handyman for others in his community.

He was about to leave for his first job of the day when he noticed that his van, which was locked at the time, was no longer in his driveway and not parked on the main road.

Mr Rowberry bought the van nine years ago for work purposes when he still had his joinery business.

He said: “I am assuming they had keys for it.

“My neighbour has CCTV footage of the incident which shows three people walking along the footpath and then they just turned sharp down my drive.

“You then see the security light coming on and the van crawling down until [the light] went off. Then the other light on the back of the van comes on.

“Then two of the people run out of the driveway and the van goes after them. The whole thing took three minutes, according to the video.”

Some of Mr Rowberry’s tools were in the back of the van when it was taken, estimated to be worth up to £1,000.

He added: “The van had just been for its MOT in the morning, so I took everything out of the van.

“When it came back, I put everything back in ready for the next day.

“I had a £500 hedge trimmer, two steel ladders, hand tools, hand gardening tools and clothing in there.

“This is the first time myself and my family have had a vehicle stolen.”

Since the incident, Mr Rowberry has had to walk everywhere on foot, carrying the tools that he has left.

He has asked anyone with information to contact police.

He said: “It is quite annoying that it has happened.

“I’m asking if anyone has seen it and if anyone can help.

“If you see anything, please report it to the police.”

A police spokesperson confirmed that an investigation into the incident was under way and enquiries were ongoing.

The theft comes as another van was stolen from Dobsons Walk in Haddington while an electrician was completing a job in a home on the street last Thursday.

CCTV captured by a neighbour at 1.30pm showed the thief ducking down inside the white Renault Trafic when the owner stepped back outside for a moment.

The thief then drove off with the van and the contents, including the electrician’s tools.

The stolen van was later spotted going past the Jet petrol station, on the western edge of Tranent, and in the direction of Musselburgh.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland is carrying out inquiries and anyone with any information should call 101 quoting 1774 of November 14.”