Great Western Coffee Shop

Appeal for information following theft of rail machinery - Teigngrace, near Newton Abbot

British Transport Police (BTP) officers investigating the theft of railway equipment worth more than ^18,000 are appealing for information.

The machinery was taken from the railway line at Exeter Road, near Newton Abbot, Devon, between 7am on Thursday, 9 February and 11am on Monday, 13 February.

PC Justin Hamling, investigating officer, said: ^Machinery being used by railway contractors working at Teigngrace crossing, north of Newton Abbot, was left secured at the site on Thursday, 9 February.

^When staff returned the following Monday, 13 February, they noticed a red and grey-coloured Takeuchi mini excavator worth ^18,250 and a Honda GX 100 wacker plate machine worth ^430 were both missing.^

The mini excavator has the fleet number SN11787, chassis number SNM122800971 and the vehicle^s registration number is Q 214 XAP.

The wacker plate^s serial number is SN75274 and its engine number is SN212140.

Officers have also today released library photographs which show machines similar to those which were stolen in the theft.

(http://www.btp.presscentre.com/imagelibrary/displaymedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=8348&SizeID=2)  (http://www.btp.presscentre.com/imagelibrary/displaymedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=8349&SizeID=2)

PC Hamling added: ^Enquiries are ongoing to trace the stolen machinery and find those responsible for the theft.

^If you have any information about the whereabouts of the machinery described above, or are perhaps the owner of a business which has been recently been offered machinery matching the above descriptions in suspicious circumstances, I would urge you to come forward in confidence.^

Anyone with information which they think could assist the police investigation is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
In all calls, please quote incident reference B6/WWA of 06/03/2012.