Blow for Wigan business owner as thieves steal engine and front of new van

Jordan Molyneux, 32, runs Seitanic Kebabs, offering plant-based kebabs, and had big plans to mark Veganuary.

But they may now have to be shelved after the front of his new Citroen Berlingo van and the engine were taken by thieves.

Jordan, who lives in Scholes, was visiting his girlfriend on Sunday night and parked the van on Haigh Road, Haigh.

He had bought the 2023-registered vehicle just two weeks before to replace an older van with mechanical issues.

Jordan said: “They have taken the entire front of the van. I have never seen anything like it.

"I came out and thought someone had smashed into it, but as I got closer, it looked more like a clinical job. Someone has sawn it off.”

Jordan has managed to gather video footage from the area which shows thieves arriving at the van at 2.30am on Monday and spending more than an hour there.

He has reported the damage to the police and his insurers, but it has come at a particularly bad time for the food stall proprietor.

January is a key time for his plant-based business due to Veganuary, a campaign which encourages people to swap their usual diet for vegan food throughout the month.

He also needs the van for day-to-day tasks relating to his business, which is based at Chew’s Yard in Preston and also supplies vegan food to the Royal Oak pub, on Standishgate, Wigan.

Jordan said: “I had big plans for the New Year for Veganuary. I was planning to do lots of appearances, pop-ups, maybe kitchen takeovers.

"It’s written off quite a lot of the plans I had at arguably the most important part of the year.”

Since sharing details about the theft on social media, he has been contacted by other van owners whose vehicles have also been targeted.

Jordan urged anyone with a van to take extra precautions if possible in a bid to prevent them also being damaged.

Anyone with information about the damage is asked to call police on 101.