Bungling trailer thieves caught on firm's CCTV

BUNGLING . . . Two thieves struggled for 30 minutes to force open the gates at GRR Group and steal one of its display trailers

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VIDEO footage shows the efforts of two bungling thieves who struggled for 30 minutes to open a gate before stealing a trailer.

The footage, from CCTV at GGR Group, a family-run firm based at Broadway Business Park in Chadderton, shows the thieves making a hash of the burglary as they struggled to open a security gate.

The incident, which occurred on Sunday, July 30, at about 5.20pm, shows the first thief, wearing a black hat, black coat and grey jogging pants, scale the fence fairly comfortably.

Then he tries to remove the outer casing of the security panel with his hands but finds it would not budge.

He leaves the premises only to return with a sledgehammer which he slides under the gate before climbing back over.

With one swift swing the panel is opened, but the thief then struggles to find a switch to open the gate and in his desperation he comically tries to pull open the gate, but to no avail.

With time ticking on, his accomplice, wearing a navy blue jacket and grey pants, comes into shot, seemingly asking what is taking so long.

He then also tries to push the gate open from the other side before leaving his companion to struggle.

At one point a car drives past and the thief lies on the ground to avoid being spotted.

He finds the manual crank for the gate, but that also proves difficult to open, taking him several minutes to do so before his accomplice drives in with a navy blue car. The pair then steal a GGR Group exhibition trailer.

Police were called the next day and are investigating.

Daniel Ezzatvar, GGR Group marketing manager, said: "It is never a good thing to come into work to find out something like this has happened, but as a family business it affects everyone on more of a personal level.

"We are a close-knit team and even though we operate on an international level, we work alongside the owners of the business every day."

He added: "After looking at the video I was surprised at the lengths these guys went to in broad daylight.

"The most frustrating thing is that we are about to enter show season and the exhibition trailer was supposed to feature at a number of events.

"This is going to mean more work for my team at a time when they are already going to be stretched."

GGR Group is Europe's leading supplier of vacuum handling equipment, compact pick and carry cranes, UNIC mini spider cranes and restricted access lifting machinery.

It was established in 1995 by siblings Graeme and Gill Riley and employs more than 100 people at three UK sites in its headquarters in Oldham, Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire and at Blantyre in Scotland, as well as having a network of about 30 dealers across Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

The company was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2016, the UK's most prestigious business award. It will pay a reward for any information that leads to the safe recovery of the exhibition trailer. Contact GGR Group direct on 0161 683 2580 or call the police on 101.