Thieves ride off on Richard’s £8,000 jetski

Date published: 16 January 2009


A JETSKIER is offering a £300 reward for the return of his £8,000 Yamaha machine, stolen from outside a house in High Crompton.

The red and black jetski with silver stickers was attached to a trailer and parked outside the house in Grampian Way.

But at 1am on Monday morning, CCTV footage from a neighbouring property showed two men breaking the wheel lock of the trailer with a crowbar.

They then pushed the trailer down the drive to a waiting a 4x4 vehicle with the headlights off. Owner Richard Brooks, from Higher Rise, said he believes the theft was planned.

The 26-year-old joiner said: “It was parked at a relative’s house and was properly locked up. The theft was definitely planned because the 4x4’s lights were off and it picked up the jetski on the corner of the road out of the camera’s view.

“The jetski means everything to me, its my baby. I’m still paying for it and I only had two more payments of £200 to go.”

Mr Brooks was taught how to waterski and jetski as a child by his father.

He regularly travels to Wales and Blackpool to use the machine but fears it might be gone for good.

He said: “It’s got an immobiliser so will be difficult to start but it could be anywhere by now, either held in storage or sold off.