THE spate of van crimes in the Halstead area has continued with a Ford Transit being stolen from Castle Hedingham on Monday night.

Michael Clarke, 66, had his business van stolen from Bowmans Park between 12.45am and 4.15am and then received a suspicious phone call at 9.12am enquiring about what action the police planned to take.

The vehicle is a white long wheel base transit, with a large red fire extinguisher box on the back and ladders attached to the side, as well as the company name, Clarks Roofing Services, and the company phone number written across the back.

Mr Clarke said: “My neighbour said she heard a vehicle struggling to start between 2am and 3am so we think that may have been when it happened.

"This morning a foreign speaking gentleman rang the phone and asked if this was the place that had the transit van stolen, and he wanted to know what the police are doing and what the police have said.

“When we asked him who he was he said you don’t need to know, just tell me what the police are doing and what the police have said.

“Why someone would ring and say something like that, I don’t know.

“Our phone has a log but the number was withheld, it is all very suspicious.

“I am a roofing contractor, it is not possessions they have stolen, it is my job, I have had to cancel jobs today and now all I can do is wait and see.

“Where it is parked is no more than 50 yards away from my bedroom window, but I didn’t hear a thing.”

A minimum of four vans were broken into and had items stolen overnight between June 15 and 16.