A self-employed landscape gardener says it feels like “a kick in the teeth” after thousands of pounds of tools were stolen from his van.

Ashley Bubb and workmate Steve Birch only set up their business Lawn ‘N’ Order a year ago and saved to buy vital equipment.

But on Monday night thieves smashed their van window and swiped drills, a chainsaw, a hedge trimmer and other tools.

The vehicle was targeted outside Mr Bubb’s home in Woodside Road, Sturry, with the thieves fleeing before they could take even more after being disturbed.

He said: “It was only about 10.45pm when it happened, so they were quite brazen.

"This really feels like a kick in the teeth..." - Ashley Bubb

“I was out and my wife, Kerry, and son Corey were in bed but it’s hardly the dead of night.

“Fortunately, a postman who lives up the road and was starting his night shift saw them in my van.

“Apparently, he heard one of them say ‘someone’s coming’ and they jumped into a Ford Mondeo and sped off.”

Sturry parish councillor, Mr Bubb, 37, and wife Kerry are well known in the area after starting a charity in the name of their four-year-old daughter, Molly, who died from a brain tumour in 2008.

Mr Bubb previously worked on the railways but decided to team up with builder friend Steve to work for themselves.

He said: “It has taken us a year to get all the equipment we needed together and the business has been going really well.

“But this really feels like a kick in the teeth. We were not able to work again for several days, which has meant a loss of pay, and are going to have to replace our tools because they are not insured in the van.

“I just can’t understand the mentality of people who do this sort of thing because they must know the person they are stealing from is self-employed. They are just scum of the earth.”

Mr Bubb said he had since heard a builder’s van parked up the road from him was targeted a couple of weeks ago and tools worth several thousand pounds were stolen.

“Normally, we would take our tools out but it had been a long day and we had an early start the next morning,” he said.

“Obviously we won’t be doing that again and I’m installing CCTV outside.

“I just want to warn anyone with a van with tools in it to be particularly wary.”

The two thieves are described as young men wearing dark clothing and hoodies or hats.

They were driving a dark Mondeo with a registration starting HG51.

Anyone with information should call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference ZY/11083/17.