A motorist has told of his Halloween hell after thieves stripped his Land Rover of £1,000 of parts outside his family home.
Owner Toby Cooper had been out enjoying a drink with a friend when he returned to his property in Bredgar, near Sittingbourne, shortly after midnight on Friday (October 31).
The Land Rover before Toby’s parts were stolen. He’s pictured on the roof before the thefts. Picture: Toby CooperToby Cooper’s Land Rover Discovery was targeted by thieves on Halloween. Picture: Toby Cooper
When he arrived, the 19-year-old quickly found his Discovery 2 vehicle had been stripped of more than £1,000 of parts.
He says a 90kg steel roof rack, five lights and three wind deflectors were among the add-ons stolen from the car.
He told KentOnline: “I was having a great time at the pub with a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while.
“When we came home, I thought I’d show him my car, but my girlfriend was like ‘where are your lights?’
“The thieves needed specific tools to do what they did to things like the roof rack as it’s not an easy job by any means.
Several parts have been stolen from the Land Rover Discovery. Picture: Toby CooperThe Land Rover has seen add-ons including a roof rack stolen. Picture: Toby Cooper
“That’s why it was a planned attack because the car itself is still fine, but they have nicked all of the add-ons which cost me more than £1,000.”
Mr Cooper says he has reported the incident to police and is now awaiting a response.
He says he has never witnessed anything like in the village before having lived there since the age of one.
“Now I’ve realised what’s happened, it’s just heartbreaking,” he added.
The Land Rover has seen add-ons including a roof rack stolen. Picture: Toby CooperThe Land Rover has seen add-ons worth more than £1,000 stolen. Picture: Toby Cooper
“Bredgar is a lovely village and I’ve never seen anything like this happen before. We don’t even live in a back road.
“I don’t expect to get these parts back – they’re probably already on a boat somewhere.
“But other people in the area drive and spend thousands on Land Rovers too, so I just don’t want this happening again to them.
“I know such thefts in the USA are a serious crime. What do I want to happen? I know here the law depends on what’s stolen, but something like this needs those responsible taken down for several years.”