Watch: Thieves steal refugee charity truck
Thieves have stolen a food truck from a refugee charity that was in a locked car park in Cardiff.
The trailer, owned by Oasis Cardiff, was stolen on April 5 in Splott, an area in the south of the city.
CCTV footage shows the criminals forcing open a padlocked gate in the early hours before towing the trailer away.
The charity uses the vehicle to sell Middle Eastern and Latin American food at its head office as well as weddings, festivals and events across south Wales. Funds raised by the sales are spent on supporting migrants and asylum seekers through language classes, clothing and advice.
Susie Ventris-Field, the charity's chief executive, said the theft had 'devastated' the organisation and its volunteers.
'We're devastated by this theft, especially as we are just coming into the time of year when our food trailer would be going out to events,' she said.
'It was a creative way of bringing people together to eat fantastic food and support the work we do with people seeking sanctuary. Fans of the trailer came from far and wide, and will be saddened by this terrible news.'
The theft was discovered when a volunteer arrived at the charity on the morning of April 5 and discovered the trailer was missing.
In a statement, the charity said: 'The Oasis team was devastated to come to work this morning to discover that our beloved Oasis Food Truck was stolen over the weekend. With summer approaching, the food truck was a local attraction in our garden and at summer festivals around Cardiff.
'If anyone in the local community saw anything or has captured any CCTV footage that may have captured some or all of the incident, please get in touch with us.
'Despite this upsetting news, at Oasis we always focus on the positives. Thank you for your continued support – we could not exist without the kind generosity of the local community.
'The truck was securely locked on our premises and it took the thieves a few hours to steal it – but unfortunately, although many cars and people passed by, no one saw anything or reported it. All normal security protocols were in place.'
A spokesman for South Wales Police said: 'We can confirm we are investigating the theft of the trailer. Anyone with information or CCTV is asked to please contact South Wales Police quoting reference 2500107248.'
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