THIS is the moment “scumbag” thieves forced their way into an electrician’s van and stole nearly £2,000 worth of tools.

Owen Green has been living a “nightmare” since he parked his white Vauxhall Combo along the service yard near Charteris Road, Woodford Green, but returned to find a giant hole in the back of it.

The 23-year-old, of Pollards Green, Chelmsford, was working in one of the flats at the time and had only left his van for an hour-and-a-half when the brazen thieves struck.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

“I came to find a big hole in the back of the van,” he said. “I looked at it instantly and knew what happened. I opened the door and everything had gone.

“It looked like they had used a screwdriver or a crowbar and popped the lock. They took absolutely everything, around £2,000 worth of equipment.”

The clip shows a car reverse out of a space next to the van and park up behind it, before another man is seen prising the back doors open and smash his way through.

It was uploaded to Facebook and has had 16,000 views, but so far, nobody has come forward with any information.

The tools were branded Milwaukee, Bosch or Makita battery power tools. He added: “It’s awful, and I’m so angry about the whole thing. This happens way too often, and the police just don’t care. I don’t think it would be too hard to find them really, if the police had bothered.

“The whole thing is just a nightmare.

“I’ve had to put jobs on hold and friends and family have had to lend me money so I can buy new tools.”

But despite the evidence he has been left “disappointed” with the police’s response and angry at the way they have treated him.

He said: “I called 999 straight away, they took a few details and gave me a reference number. They said that they would call me back, but they didn’t take my address or any information at all.

“They haven’t done anything. If they had gone to the Co Op on the day it happened they could have got the number plate from the CCTV.

“This happens so much, especially throughout London. It’s terrible because people rely on these tools for their livelihoods.

“That’s why the thieves think they will get away with it.”

The Metropolitan Police is in the process of obtaining forensic evidence. 

Anyone with information is asked to call police in Redbridge on 101. Information can also be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.