BRAZEN thieves stole a generator from a pizza van in Nailsworth – while the owner was inside cooking.

Ian Morris was working in the Siena Pizza van last night when the power went off, only to find that his generator had been stolen.

A police spokesperson said: “We had a report this morning that a generator had been stolen from a pizza van in Nailsworth.

“It happened at about 8pm last night.

“The victim was working in the van when the power went off.

“He checked the generator and found it had been stolen.

“A customer said he heard a car drive off.

“The red Honda suitcase generator weighed about 15 - 20K and is worth more than £1,000.”

Writing on Facebook, Mr Morris said: “Robbed In Broad Daylight!

“Sorry to anyone who came to see us at the Siena Pizza Van tonight after 8:05pm, but due to an opportunist who took a liking to our generator we were left with no power so had to close early.

“A daring crime considering how long the day is and how many people are about.

“Annoying yes, costly yes, but we will be back next week with a new generator and a big chain because the friendly Nailsworth characters we get every Wednesday far outweigh those that might not be so kind.

“Thanks for everyone who came up late for your kindness and understanding.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident number 89 of June 22.