THIEVES stole thousands of pounds of tools leaving a family business at risk of going bust – just seven weeks after the homeowners had moved to Basildon.

Siobhan Lewis believes she may have disturbed the criminals in the middle of the night before they got away with £3,000 worth of tools, after raiding her husband’s work van which sat on their drive in Danbury Down.

Crooks also raided her BMW One Series car, which thieves have now targeted for the second time, after it was previously broken into while the couple lived in Billericay.

The 35-year-old said: “I woke up at 4am Monday morning randomly, opened the window and went back to sleep.

“I think the noise of me opening the window disturbed them because when my other half went down to go to work at about 7am he found the van and my BMW wide open.

“Thieves had raided the car and didn’t manage to get anything but CDs and spare change, but they took at least £3,000 worth from the van, nicking DeWalt power tools, batteries, a radio system and more.

“We’ve only been living here seven weeks and my husband had only been back to work for four days because of Covid-19, so we’re devastated. We’re not even sure how they got in, but they emptied everything.”

Siobhan continued: “This could potentially put our business under, given the current situation – without tools, we can’t earn a living and without that we can’t pay the bills.

“Gary has owned his company, Abacus Roofing, for 15 years, and his dad started Abacus Recovery 40 years ago.

“We’re having to use our savings on forking out for new equipment, which seems so unfair.

“Another vehicle was also targeted on Whitmore Way around 3.30am.”

Contact police on 101, quoting crime reference 42/66881/20.