A VETERAN ice cream seller is furious after parts for his vintage van were stolen from outside his home in a mid-afternoon raid.

Mario Bretti has been in the ice cream business since the 1970s, serving up summer treats to the people of Swindon.

But last week thieves targeted his driveway and stole some vital parts for the classic ice cream van in which he began his career all those years ago.

The bright yellow Bedford CF, named Jo Joe after Mario’s first two children, was parked outside his home in Upper Stratton on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 8, with some important parts on the ground next to it.

Shortly after 12.30pm, two men drove up in a white transit van and scooped up the items, which included three radiators and a battery.

Mario’s daughter, 29-year-old Maria, said: “He’s so upset you wouldn’t believe.

“He hasn’t been sleeping and he’s been going round to all the scrap yards with the pictures of these guys.

“He’s not trying to get anyone in trouble, he just wants the parts back.

“He was keeping them as spares, the van is really old and if it breaks down then it’s quite hard to source the parts.

“My dad loves that van - he bought it from new and has looked after it really well.

“If they’ve taken them for scrap then they’re not going to get a lot.

"They might not be valuable to some people but to my dad they really are.”

A CCTV camera caught the two thieves in the act - police officers are due to collect the footage soon in the hope that it can provide vital clues to help recover the goods.

“It shows one guy by the van at the end of the drive,” said Maria. “The other one comes on to the property to take the parts.

“You can see from one angle that he looks up the driveway to check nobody is watching - that’s actually quite scary.

“He made two trips on to the drive to get what he wanted because they’re quite heavy.

“Yes, the parts were on the driveway in the open but someone has still taken the decision to step onto the property to take them.”

Stills from the CCTV footage were posted on Mario’s company Facebook page along with an appeal for information.

The post was shared a staggering 500 times and reached 50,000 people in just two days - a feat which Maria credits to her father’s loyal and appreciative long-time customers.

Mario took to the site to thank those who had supported him.

“In times of need the Swindon community always comes together to help people,” he wrote.

“Although I am yet to retrieve the stolen items I am so so grateful for people’s kindness.”

He also added that if the people who stole the parts wanted to return them to the driveway anonymously then he would be extremely grateful.

If you can help identify the thieves, call the police on 101 or leave information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.