9:27 am, November 23, 2022
A used car dealer in Lincolnshire who only set up business this year is counting the cost after thieves broke in and trashed the place.
Hassan Rahman, who put his life savings into RM Traders in Stamford, was left tearful after finding the dealership had been ransacked when he got to work on Monday (Nov 21).
After knocking the doors through, the culprits caused mayhem as they tore through the office, scattering equipment and papers, according to the Rutland & Stamford Mercury.
They also tried to break into a filing cabinet in what is believed to have been an attempt to find keys to the cars so they could steal vehicles.
However, Rahman takes all the keys home with him each night as a precaution, meaning the thieves were foiled.
He told the newspaper: ‘I am glad they didn’t get hold of anything valuable. All my life savings have been put into this.’
The 22-year-old, who only set up the business in January, after selling and hiring cars while at university, added: ‘I walked in and felt teary as this is everything I have worked for.
‘It was so sad seeing it all. I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say or do.’
During their rampage, the thieves took the CCTV, which is causing problems in finding and bringing them to justice.
Rahman, whose dealership specialises in performance and prestige cars, is still calculating how much repairs will cost, but said he’d lost business as he’d been told by police not to move anything, meaning he’d had to cancel appointments.
Police have said that their inquiries are continuing.
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