Jimmy The Mower left 'heartbroken' after van raided
"It's heartbreaking because I can't do a job that I love."
A selfless man who cuts grass at football pitches for youngsters has been put out of action after his truck was raided.
Jimmy 'The Mower' Broadhouse was cutting a football pitch in Pattingham, near the village church on the High Street, when thieves struck.
The culprits tried the windows of his four-year-old Isuzu D-Max, before trying the doors and ultimately smashing the windows in on Wednesday at around 1.30pm.
Tools worth a couple of thousand pounds were in the vehicle – including a strimmer, a steel chainsaw and a hedge cutter – which has been sent off for forensic analysis.
The 42-year-old, from Ditton Priors, said: "You try and do your best, you work for yourself and you're trying every day to make a difference for people – and you end up with something like this happening.
"It's really sad.
"People are supportive, but it's not the tools which are the problem – it's the truck which is off the road.
"I tow a trailer each day with the truck which has the mower in it.
"I can't do any work that's the big problem and I don't know when it will be picked up, if the insurance company will repair and if so, how long will it take?"
"I love the job and being able to make a difference to those kids and Sunday League footballers alike and because of this I can't fulfil my obligations," he said.
It means youngsters will not have their football pitches cut – which he described as being the "saddest part of it all".
But despite his truck being broken into, Mr Broadhouse returned to the nearby pitch to complete his work.
"I got someone to stand guard by the side of the truck while I went to cut the lawn to make sure it was ready for the weekend.
"We were waiting for the police and a woman called Amy was kind to us and she came over with a flask of tea and some biscuits.
"People are genuinely good but it's just a few people that spoil it."
His actions saw him gain sponsorship and be invited to Wembley Stadium to cut the grass.
A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said: "Police received a report at around 1.50pm on October 2 of the theft of tools from a pick-up truck.
"Thieves smashed the vehicle's window and took a strimmer, chainsaw, spray tank and other tools."
Anyone with any information is asked to ring 101 quoting incident 376 of October 2.
