Batteries stolen from Connexions buses

Staff at family business Connexions, based between York and Wetherby, discovered at 6am on Tuesday that almost 30 batteries - worth between £2,500 and £3,000 - had been stolen from buses at their depot.

The firm runs buses between York and Harrogate and on a few York routes.

Craig Temple, who has run the business for 14 years, said he had never experienced anything like this and said: “These people have absolutely no thought for anyone else at all.

"Regardless of the effect on us, it’s the effect on travelling public and children we have to get to school on daily buses.

"We have not been able to get some children to school this morning and we’ve people who rely on our buses to get to work on a morning.

"We have CCTV and it’s quite a distinctive van they were in - an Iveco panel van, with reflective marking down the rear and on the rear of the side. Two people who’ve obviously cased it out before and knew where the cameras were, so didn’t get out of the van where the CCTV was.”

Mr Temple said all services were back up and running by 10am, thanks to hard work and spare batteries from the depot, and the assistance of local coach company A&A Coaches, who lent a coach to Connexions.

Passenger Helen Barker, from Rufforth, said the theft was “ghastly and mindless”, which affected hundreds of bus users, but thanked Connexions staff for their assistance when early morning services were cancelled or delayed.

She said: “They are a truly well needed business - especially for those living in Rufforth or other outlying villages who rely on this bus so heavily.

“I was very kindly picked up by a No. 13 bus route this morning in Rufforth as the driver wasn’t sure if our village bus - which runs every two hours - was running or not and didn’t want to leave me stranded. That alone is such a kind act, especially in the dark, on my own and the freezing cold weather.”

Police ask anyone offered type 625 and 632 batteries, for use in commercial vehicles, buses or trucks, to phone 101.