A COUPLE visiting Worcester have been left heartbroken after their beloved camper van was stolen containing a “bed-sit worth” of personal items.

Rolf Startin and Sally Cumes had enjoyed a week’s holiday in the Lake District in their newly restored VW camper ‘Muttley’.

They passed through Worcester on Friday night to visit Mr Startin’s 26-year-old daughter Emma, who lives in Friar Street, and planned to drive home to Bournemouth the following day.

The pair returned at 3pm on Saturday to where Muttley had been parked overnight in Charles Street, near Kwik Fit, off City Walls Road, to find the van had been stolen.

The van is a white 1984 Westfalia VW camper with unique “sniggering” Muttley images, from the cartoon Wacky Races, on the front door panels.

Mr Startin, aged 46, said: “As we approached, our hearts sank as it slowly dawned on us that he was no longer there. We just stood in disbelief and shock for several minutes as the horror of our week’s home being taken from us sank in.

“All of our favourite belongings to enhance our holiday were inside, as well as a bedsit-worth of personal items. It’s like someone removing our house.

“We had to come home to Bournemouth on the train, with only the clothes we stood in and a small bag each.”

Mr Startin, who works as an aerospace electronics designer, said items left in the van included a laptop, house, work and car keys, a digital sound recorder, phone and camera chargers, books, maps, CDs, two bags of clothing, cooking equipment, bedding, towels, walking boots, a hairdryer, sunglasses and spectacles, a camping shower, a pair of jump leads, a fire extinguisher and a box of tools.

He added: “I could not believe anyone, no matter how despicable and low they’d become, would steal a camper that was obviously currently in use as a home. The bed was un-made, there was a bowl with the washing up still to do.

“I cannot comprehend someone so disgusting and inhuman enough to take another’s entire residence to satisfy their own selfish greed, irrespective of the knock-on effects to the owner.”

Mr Startin is offering a £250 reward for any information leading to the van’s return.

He added: “I’m appealing to everyone to please look out for this very distinctive van. Even if the Muttley design has been removed, or with a different paint job , this is a rare vehicle, there are few of them around, especially restored to this level so please inform Worcester police if you see a camper that may be, or may have been Muttley, now in disguise.”

A police spokesman said officers are investing the theft and are appealing for witnesses.

Anyone with information should call 0300 333 3000 quoting 540/S/310710.