A STOLEN 30 foot-long caravan is being hunted down by police after it was taken from a site near Chard.

Police were called to the South Somerset Holiday Park in Howley, near Chard, on May 12 at about 2.40am after reports a vehicle had been stolen.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: “A vehicle forced entry to the site hitched up to the caravan and has then driven out of the park with lights switched off.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident and who might have seen a caravan being towed by a four wheel type vehicle possibly with its lights switched off.

“The caravan is large and quite distinctive being grey and white in colour. It is an Hobby Excellent 645 VIP 2014 caravan.”

Chard & Ilminster News:

Neil Szwemin, the stolen vehicle’s owner, said this is the only caravan theft the park has had in the last 20 years.

He added: “I was contacted just after 8am last Friday to be informed by the site owner that the caravan had been stolen from its pitch.

“Their CCTV camera was very clear due to the rain, but it saw a man come down through the exit point and bend the bar back. Then a silver or dark grey shogun with a stripe drove in.

“They slashed the awnings and only a few minutes later my caravan was pulled off site.

“It was then seen turning right out of the campsite towards Chard or then there is a sharp turning left towards the Eagle Tavern junction.

Chard & Ilminster News:

“It was all reported to the police at 8am but they didn’t turn up until Monday morning.

“Police say they have checked CCTV for a vehicle of that description or a caravan. It was a 30 foot caravan and it is eight feet wide. It is an absolute monster.

“It was about 3am, and as soon as they came onto the main road the lights came on. It would have lit up like a Christmas tree.

“I have just a glimmer of hope. If I had seen a caravan trundling along I don’t think I would have thought anything of it, but hopefully if someone sees the appeal then they will realise it wasn’t normal.”

If you have any information about the stolen caravan call 101 and quote crime reference number 5217105531.