A CONSTRUCTION worker has been left devastated after the 18-tonne truck that ensures his company can operate during one of its busiest periods of the year has been stolen in Kingswood.

Paul Giles from Chipping Sodbury is pleading with members of the public to come forward with any information about his missing Volvo FL6 Hiab truck after it was stolen in a raid from a Kingswood construction yard.

The director of Wotton Tarpaving Ltd said thieves had broken into the Kingswood yard on Nind Lane between Saturday evening, August 9 and Monday Morning, August 11.

The Volvo FL6 Hiabb tipper with crane is estimated to be worth around £50,000 brand new and its loss has had a big impact on the firm, which employs four people.

Mr Giles, 46, said nothing like this had ever happened in the company’s 20-year history.

“It is causing us a major problem at the moment, the costs will run into the thousands.” he said.

“I was pretty devastated really, it is a huge importance to use it is something we can’t imagine without.

“There’s been a major knock on effect to the work we can do, especially at this time of year as it is one of our best times.”

Mr Giles believes the truck may have been targeted because of the actions of the thieves, who left everything else apart from a Stihl disc cutter saw.

“They broke into our storage yard and stole a stone saw steel and left quiet abit of stuff, they could have taken but it looks like they wanted the truck and that was it,” he said.

“They knew exactly what they were after.

“The police came out pretty swiftly and took the details, I believe they think it was used in another incident elsewhere.”

He is pleading with member of the public to get in contact if they have seen the truck, which have been used in the area to carry out work.

“I would think that it is quite noticeable really quite distinctive,” said Mr Giles.

A Gloucestershire police spokesman said an unknown number of offenders had gained entry to the yard of the business through a secure gate.

"Once inside, they have entered a large hangar and taken two sets of vehicle keys, a Stihl disc cutter from the back of parked lorry within the hangar," he said.

"An 18 tonne Volvo lorry has then been stolen using its keys from within the building."

If you have any information, contact Gloucestershire Police on 101, quoting incident number 81 of August 11.