Hauliers fight thieves 'th big reward
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by Jane Sayer • Furious hauliers aim to stop a gang of truck thieves who specialise in Volvos by offering a .C35,000 reward. They say they have raised the cash because police have not done enough to catch the thieves.
Three East Anglian operators are also taking legal advice after making official complaints to the police, but they are awaiting the results of an internal inquiry into local forces' failure to catch the gang.
Operators estimate that more than 30 trucks have been taken in the area since Christmas, at least half of which are Volvos, It is believed that a local gang is stealing to order. Police say they have identified the problem and are taking action.
Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Allan Whittaker of Norfolk Police confirms that official complaints have been received from two hauliers, but he is unable to comment further pending internal police inquiries.
Tim Wyatt. a Snetterton, Norfolk haulier, lost 25% of his fleet when four Volvo FL1Os were stolen last month. The first two disappeared between 4/5 March; the others were stolen, along with a brand new £64,000 Volvo F12 belonging to Trevor Matthews International of Great Yarmouth, during the early hours of 18 March.
Wyatt and Matthews say the police have not done enough to catch the gang. "Having a Volvo stolen is equivalent to a bank raid a day, but because it's only dirty lorries the police won't take any action," says Wyatt.
He alleges the police could have acted faster when a fellow operator, Archie Day of Bunwell, spotted three of the stolen Volvos on the All just before 05:00hrs on 18 March. Day saw two of the stolen vehicles again later that clay and reported this to a nearby policeman. But the hauliers allege that he insisted on speaking to Anne Wyatt to get the registration numbers first, and more thaii an hour passed before the police atTived to investigate.
Like the Norfolk hauliers, Wisbech, Cambs operator Fitirry White is considering further action against the police after issuing a complaint against them. He says the police took nearly six hours to tell him his stolen Volvo F16 had been found at a cafe.
"I was at the cafe at 06:55hrs the next morning only to find that
the lorry had been taken again at 05:00hrs," says White; "A man who runs a commercial operation at the back of the cafe told the police he would have my vehicle moved to a secure yard for the night, but they said it would not be necessary"