A BUILDER has praised and thanked the Grays community for the help he received in locating his stolen van.

Phillip Pobgee, of East Street, Grays, was working on a project in Tilbury at midday on Wednesday, October 15, when a thief stole the keys to his white Ford van and drove off.

Mr Pobgee reported the crime to the police, but also appealed to the Grays community via Facebook.

He said: “I’m a builder and that van is my livelihood. So I decided to post a picture of the van on to a Grays page with the hope someone would recognise it.”

Mr Pobgee said the post went viral.

He said: “By 9am on Thursday morning, I got a message from someone saying they were standing right next to my van. It just shows how the community come together to help people out.

“It was gone for less than 20 hours, but I wouldn’t have found it if it wasn’t for these people so I just want to say a massive thank you.”

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said that no one has been arrested for the theft.