Gosport community group, Gosportarians, have minibus stolen on Christmas Eve

Malcolm Dent, the chair of the Gosportarians, spotted the van had been stolen from outside his house in Alverstoke on Tuesday, December 24. The theft means that a number of special needs groups will be without transport for the foreseeable future.

Malcolm said: “Every Thursday and Friday I take out a group of people with special needs and I also run a blind club which we use it for. It’s a great asset for the community.”

The van, named ‘Jemima Tinkerbelle’ by the special needs groups, is usually parked in a secure place when it is not in use, but as Malcolm had used it the day before and was going to use it on Christmas Eve, it was parked in front of his house.

Malcolm said: “It was there at midnight because I saw it when I walked the dog. The next morning I walked the dog and it was only when walking back down the street that I noticed it wasn't there. We had both sets of keys in the house so we realised someone must have stolen it. Why they would want to I don’t know, it’s a great community bus.

“I’m presuming it was not joyriders as they would have driven it for a while and then dumped it and somebody would see it.”

The Gosportarians have spent the past three weeks doing its annual sleigh ride, driving a Father Christmas and elf to different parts of Gosport each night to meet local children. To have come to the end of that and then be faced with this theft was described as “a great shame” by Malcolm.

With the group’s community work continuing after Christmas it will leave a lot of people without transport. Malcolm said: “It’s a community asset that will be sorely missed as I doubt if I will be able to replace it again.

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The incident was reported to the police who are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “It was reported that a white Ford Transit minibus was stolen from St Mary’s Avenue in Gosport some time between 7.45am and 8.30am on December 24.

“Sightings of the vehicle on ANPR cameras will still be checked and we urge anyone with information to come forward. You can call 101 quoting reference 44240558116.”

Malcolm highlighted one feature which may make it recognisable even if has had the signs removed. He said: “There is one noticeable feature even if they change the decor. There is a sliding door on the side which had a bash on the right hand corner and has been dented. That's the only distinguishable feature I can think of because if the take the signs off it’s just a white minibus.”