A UTILITY vehicle worth around £6,000 has been stolen from a charity that helps support disabled people in Poole.

The green Kawasaki Mule was taken overnight from a yard where it was parked sometime between midnight on Sunday, February 4 and 7am on Monday, February 5 from Livability Holton Lee at Holton Heath.

The vehicle had been with the charity for 10 years and was donated through a charitable trust.

The offenders gained entry after breaking the lock on the compound before taking the vehicle.

It is believed the break-in was pre-planned as the security lights were removed from the wall prior to the vehicle being stolen.

Neil Stevens, Centre Manager at Livability Holton Lee, said: "This vehicle was in daily use supporting the woodland and horticulture therapy activities that happen on site.

"There will clearly be a financial and a practical impact, but knowing that someone has come to site prepared in advance to steal from the charity is particularly demoralising for the team when they put so much in on a daily basis to caring for the people we support."

Neil believes the vehicle, which reaches speeds of 20mph, wasn’t driven off the site and must have been taken away using some sort of trailer.

Nothing else was taken.

Police Constable Paul Diffey, of Poole police, said: "The theft of this vehicle has deprived a charity of a much-needed resource.

“I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the area at the relevant time, or who has information that could assist with my investigation, to please come forward.

"If you know where this vehicle is, please contact Dorset Police urgently."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55180018604.