Driver 'gassed' during £300,000 lorry park robbery
This was the lorry that a company boss says was robbed of £300,000 worth of goods whilst parked up for the night off the A1 at Sawtry, Cambridgeshire. - Credit: Power Body
A lorry driver has told police he believes he was gassed by robbers whilst asleep in a Cambridgeshire lorry park and more than £300,000 worth of goods were stolen.
Bart Ratus, general manager of Power Body Nutrition Ltd of York, said his driver had stopped at Sawtry off the A1 at a Vosa park.
The driver parked up on December 10, said Mr Ratus, to rest and “during the night - between 11pm and 3am the trailer was slashed open and over eight tonnes of goods has been stolen, with an estimated worth of £300,000”.
He said the thieves opened 14 pallets in the lorry, using a knife to cut through the wrapping to remove the goods.
Mr Ratus said: “The driver claims he was gassed in his cabin what caused him to sleep through the attack. The lorry could have also been followed during his journey from York.”
He said the police were contacted on four occasions “by the driver, by a concerned VOSA agent present on the scene and later on by the owners of the stolen goods”.
He said there were witnesses and evidence that included blood and a Stanley knife.
Mr Ratus said that initially police did not take the robbery seriously.
“The victim of crime waited for the police to attend the scene for over 20 hours, to no avail,” said Mr Ratus.
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A police spokesperson said: "On December 11, we received a report that a lorry had been broken into overnight while parked in a car park just off the A1 at Sawtry and vitamins and supplements stolen.
"Based on the information given in the report the following morning, the case was filed, pending further information, due to there being insufficient evidence on which to base an investigation.
“However, a complaint was made on Tuesday December 15 when new and significant information was provided.”
The spokesperson added: “As such, the investigation has been re-opened and has been allocated to an officer to ensure all viable lines of enquiry are followed up.
"The complainant has been updated on developments.
"Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact police on 101 or via web-chat quoting crime reference 35/83738/20."
