Bouncy castles stolen in Gorse Hill

Fortunately, this is not one of those cases in which a fairly nondescript truck or van is taken.

Rather, the vehicle stolen from business owner Howard Tucker is a former Metropolitan Police trailer. Standing nine feet tall, it is one of only three such vehicles left on our roads.

This makes it not only readily identifiable but also, as Mr Tucker correctly points out, not the sort of vehicle which can readily be hidden in a garage. It is therefore either parked in plain sight on a street or perhaps on land at the back of a street or a piece of waste ground.

The theft is an especially mean-spirited one; the bouncy castles are not only not only part of Mr Tucker’s livelihood but also represent countless children – and also some adults – deprived of a popular party attraction as spring and summer come.

Each of the castles has distinctive brand marking and is readily identifiable, which makes them difficult to sell on.

Anybody who is offered such an item, and who has even the slightest suspicion that it is stolen, should contact the police immediately.

If they fail to do so, or go ahead with the purchase, they are morally no better than whoever committed the crime.

We ask our readers to look out for the missing trailer and anything they suspect of having been inside it.