£35,000 SpongeBob raid on trailer

Boxes of SpongeBob SquarePants hot water bottles worth around £35,000 have been stolen in a raid on a trailer park in Rugeley.

Thieves broke into a trailer park owned by GMT Ltd in Power Station Road at around 9.25pm on Sunday. They took £100 worth of the hot water bottles from a curtain-sided trailer.

At around 4am yesterday morning thieves struck again, this time empying the trailer and making off with 108 boxes of the novelty bottles, valued at around £35,000.

GMT has upped its security at Power Station Road as a result of the double break-in.

Daniel Masser, general manager at the transport and warehousing providers, said it was the first theft from the site in around 17 years.

"We have stepped up our security at the site after what's happened," he said.

"There will be a 24-hour physical presence on top of the CCTV."

Officers from Rugeley's neighbourhood policing unit are now appealing for members of the public to be on the lookout for SpongeBob SquarePants hot water bottles being sold in suspicious circumstances.

Sgt Chris Roger said: "These were new items that were probably being marketed as Christmas presents for young children – these things don't normally turn up at car boots or in the back of vans.

"We would like people to be aware that what they are potentially buying could be stolen."

Mr Masser echoed Sergeant Roger's plea for shoppers to be on the alert. "We'd ask people to keep an eye out at car boot sales and that sort of thing," he said.

Anybody with information is asked to contact PC Nick Smith on 0300 1234455. Or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.