Coronavirus West Berkshire: Thieves target NHS workers' cars

Ambulance workers return from night shift to make discovery

Returning from a 12-hour night shift, a Newbury NHS worker was shocked to find his car had been broken into.

Both Andrew Burford, who works as an emergency care assistant for the ambulance service, and a colleague had their cars rifled through while they were carrying out their life-saving jobs last week.

It is the fact that they work for the NHS that Mr Burford believes made them a target.

“Everyone is saying that people are targeting NHS staff vehicles, trying to get ID cards, masks, hand gels etc,” he said.

“We don’t know if they are going for valuables or our ID cards.”

He said nothing was stolen from his car, but he found all the documents he usually keeps safely away in his glovebox had been scattered across the car as the thieves carried out a thorough search of the vehicle.

His tyres also appeared to have been tampered with as the pressure was very low as he tried to drive off after his shift.

His colleague had some headphones stolen when his car was ransacked.

The cars had been left near the service’s Thatcham depot when the break-ins occurred and Mr Burford believes it may be because all of the other surrounding premises are now empty that the thieves were able to strike unnoticed.

“It’s just so frustrating,” the 30-year-old said.

“We are doing 12-hour night shifts and we come back to find this.

“We are risking our own lives, going out to help people who possibly have the virus.

“The last week or two have been like Christmas and New Year rolled into one for the ambulance service.”

It is not the first time Mr Burford has had his car targeted while at work.

Last summer his car was damaged when thieves try to break into it, again while he was on a night shift.