A TULLIBODY man has appealed for help to find his work van after it was stolen earlier this week.

Local joiner Brian Gilbert says he’s been unable to work after losing the vehicle, which contained “everything” he needed for his job.

The 33-year-old told the Advertiser he first noticed it was missing from outside his home on Banchory Place early on Wednesday, November 27.

He said: “On Tuesday I was working late, and usually when I reverse the van in, I park it with the backdoors facing the fence and my partner’s car parked in front of it.

“That one night I was late and didn’t. I got up the next morning and went outside for a coffee and a cigarette and shouted to my partner: ‘have you moved the van?’

“I started second guessing myself, [but] my keys were [still] on the worktop.”

He then realised it had been stolen during the night, and contacted the police.

When asked about the impact losing his work van has had, Brian – who has a nine-year-old daughter – said: “I’ve got my own business, so I’m in a position of having no van, two jobs lying half done, and a diary booked up until Christmas.

“There’s roughly between £10,000 and £9,000 worth of tools in the van.”

The vehicle also contained several tools he’d kept for sentimental value, as they belonged to his father and grandfather – who were also joiners.

He said: “That stuff I’ll never get back.

“My business is 50 per cent of my life, and my family is the other 50 per cent of my life – so half my life’s been taken away.

“Everything for my business was in that van, so my whole business has been stopped.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed they are investigating the theft.

Anyone with information about it should contact police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.