WATCH: Young raiders caught on camera stealing £60k of tools from Ford fanatic's business
"We're not going to let them beat us, no way." These are the words of the girlfriend of a business owner who has had more than £60,000 worth of tools stolen by raiders.
The couple have been left heartbroken at the loss of their livelihood after burglars, one of whom appears to be carrying a weapon, broke into their firm in Penkridge.
Mick Arnold, aged 45, arrived at his business MAD Ford Engineering to find that almost all of his tools, which he uses on a daily basis, had been stolen.
The raiders, one of them thought to be a woman, had also taken a vehicle trailer.
Mr Arnold's partner, Sacha Frost, aged 37, who is pregnant and off work due to high blood pressure, said: "It's devastating to be honest.
"Mick had only just got back on his feet, opening the business, because he broke his pelvis when he fell off a roof last year.
"Being a mechanic is all he's ever known, it's everything to him, and now this happens and it's taken away."
Four suspects were captured on CCTV entering the business premises off Pottal Pool Road, at around 10pm on Tuesday.
Once they had got inside they made off with tools including two snap tool boxes and original Ford tools.
The gang also managed to cut through the wires of the CCTV recording equipment after eight minutes of being inside the premises.
The remaining footage showed that the raiders immediately went to where the tools were kept, as well as into the office where the keys to vehicles are kept.
One of the offenders, believed to be a woman, had a distinctive sun tattoo on her left foot. The others were wearing Nike Air and Reebok Classic trainers. All appeared to be youngsters.
The footage also shows two offenders walk up to a caravan which was empty at the time.
"Mick was staying in the caravan to keep working overnight. It was lucky he wasn't in there when they broke in, otherwise who knows what would have happened," added Ms Frost.
"Some of the tools Mick had had since he was 15. They were sentimental.
"But we're not going to let them beat us, no way. His friends have already been round to offer their tools so he can carry on working. It's his life, it really is."
The tools are marked with Mr Arnold's initials.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call police on 101.
