Thieves have stolen £13,000 worth of barbecues ahead of surf and skate festival

THIEVES have stolen a trailer containing £13,000 worth of barbecues days before they were due to be used at a surf and skate festival.

The Kamado Joe Grills were set to take centre stage for a live burger cook-off at the UK Surf & Skate Expo on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26.

Despite the setback, organisers are determined that the show, and the burger competition, will go on. They are now asking people across Cornwall to share the appeal and help recover the distinctive trailer and its contents before the weekend.

The stolen trailer is a white box trailer measuring approximately 10 foot long, six foot wide and eight foot high, with small lettering on its side. It was secured with a padlock and contained £13,000 worth of specialist outdoor cooking equipment. A Ford flatbed lorry was captured on a camera positioned at the front of Newquay Sports Centre.

Ben Forte, international marketing director at Kamado Joe said: “We are absolutely gutted. These grills and the trailer were ready for a fun weekend with a real sense of community. To have everything taken just days beforehand is devastating but we’re determined that the show must go on.

“These are large, heavy and very distinctive ceramic grills with unique serial numbers, so they won’t be easy to move or sell unnoticed. We’re asking everyone in Cornwall and particularly anyone around Newquay to keep an eye out and share this appeal. Someone may have seen the trailer being moved, noticed the grills being unloaded or captured something useful on camera.”

The UK Surf & Skate Expo is expected to attract thousands of visitors to Newquay, bringing together the country’s surf, skate and outdoor communities for a weekend of competitions, demonstrations, talks, films, food and entertainment.

Anyone who sees the trailer or grills should not approach them, but should contact Devon and Cornwall Police immediately, quoting crime reference 5026 0190 491.