A MAN who has lost a treasured collection of tools worth almost £5,000 says he fears a gang of thieves is operating in the area.
The Berry Hill man, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported the theft to police and says he has heard from other sources that the thieves are targeting garages and lock-ups.
His tools were stolen from a Milkwall rented workshop. The thieves hammered through a wall to get at them.
"Unfortunately there is quite a market for tools. I have heard that gangs have an exchange system where they pass them on to other gangs to sell out of the area they were stolen in," he said.
"It's a lifetime's collection of tools in my case – I'm retired, and some of the tools are quite old. Then there's all the damage they've done on top of it.
"It must have been the work of more than one person. I have learned of suspicious characters having been seen in the area. I do feel local people should be made aware of this."
A spokesperson for the Forest and Gloucester police said they had no specific evidence of a gang operating in the area.
"But we always advise people to mark or postcode their electrical tools as this not only acts as a deterrent to thieves, it also allows the police to reunite them with their rightful owner if they are recovered.
"Unfortunately tools and electrical equipment do prove very attractive to thieves."