Volunteers at a York nature reserve have spoken of their devastation after thieves broke in, stole a truck and damaged infrastructure.
It happened at St Nicks on Rawdon Avenue, early yesterday morning (Friday). Now the charity has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for repairs.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We are investigating a burglary which occurred at approximately 12.30am on Thursday 31 August 2023 at a business on Rawdon Avenue in York.
“The offenders entered a gated area and attempted to remove two electric recycling trucks. However they only managed to leave with one.
“The registration number for the stolen truck is YJ62 VRZ.
“Officers are now conducting enquiries to establish the whereabouts of the stolen vehicle and identify the offenders who are responsible. “
They ask anyone with information to contact the police on 101 and ask to speak to the Force Control Room.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
In a post on Facebook, St Nicks said: “We were devastated to arrive at work this morning to discover St Nicks had been broken into overnight.
“Doris, our biggest recycling vehicle, has been stolen. Our smaller vehicle Edith they attempted to steal but they ran the tyres off the wheels and trashed her when they realised they couldn’t get the vehicle out.
“In the process much more damage has been caused to our outbuildings, entrances and bike storage unit.
“So far we have spent several hundred pounds on making the site safe and secure. Not to mention the staff time lost in clearing up, helping police and forensics and unfortunately cancelling all groups and sessions today.”
They have launched a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs. You can donate here.