Metal thieves steal escape ladder
Police are appealing for witnesses after metal thieves snatched a fire escape ladder from a Black Country firm.
They struck at UK One Training Solutions on the Mucklow Hill Trading Estate in Halesowen, escaping with the £1,000 made to measure, 12ft ladder.
Company directors Jonathan Lawrence and Danny Caldicott caught up with the raiders who vowed to return the ladder before speeding away.
Mr Lawrence, aged 36, says he is hopeful a CCTV camera set up at another unit on the estate may have captured the van at around 11am on Thursday.
He and colleague Mr Caldicott were unable to note the registration. The father-of-two said: "We saw a blue open backed transit van, driving off with our ladder on the back," he said.
"In disbelief we jumped in the car and followed them and when they stopped, politely told them that we wanted our ladder.
"They apologised and said they would bring it back and they started following us.
"However, when we got to the island at B&Q instead of turning right, as we did, they raced off down Mucklow Hill."
The firm is expected to open up in a week but as the new fire escape ladder will take four weeks to make the upper floor of the building will be out of use until it arrives.
