A LARGE scale police search involving squad cars and the force helicopter, swung into action within minutes of receiving a 999 call after a raid at a popular attraction on Bank Holiday Monday. The Wringworthy Quads Safari Centre at Morval, was the target of thieves who stole six quad bikes valued at almost £12,000, by breaking into a padlocked store shed and driving them away. As the helicopter scoured the surrounding countryside as it was believed the quads could have been hidden in a field for collection later, police officers were stopping and searching vans and lorries big enough to take six quads, as far as the Tamar Bridge. Devastated centre owner, Mr Chris Gillbard, said the theft could not have happened at a worse time. He said he had had a busy Bank Holiday weekend which had been cancelled out by the loss of his bikes. 'I have had to bring a couple of quads out of retirement this week to operate the business with the few vehicles I had left, but obviously I have had to disappoint some customers. I have not been able to operate fully in what should have been the first busy week of the summer season.' However, Mr Gillbard, who says he is fully insured, will be taking delivery of five new quads for this weekend's visitors, at a cost of £15,000. Mr Gillbard was alerted to the raid just after 6pm by his mother, Mrs Anna Gillbard, who saw three of the quads, with two riders on one of them, being driven out of the main gate at speed, with a white Ford Fiesta behind them. They took the Liskeard direction along the A 387. Mrs Gillbard shouted to her husband, Mr Harold Gillbard, who ran down to his garage to get his car to give chase. By the time he was on the road, the quads had disappeared. Meanwhile Mrs Gillbard had raced to her son's home to raise the alarm. He also drove along the road in hot pursuit but had no success. Going back to the quad shed Mr Gillbard found that six quads in total had been stolen. ' I was speechless,' he said. 'I just couldn't believe the bare faced cheek of it, and in broad daylight as well.' It is thought the thieves had used a circular grinder tool to cut through the lock on the outside of the quad shed, but on finding another lock on the inside, had jumped on to the roof, forced open a skylight, and lowered themselves down on a rope. 'I think they then used the car to pull the door down,' said Mr Gillbard. At 9am on the following morning, when a WPC from Looe accompanied Mr Gillbard to the quad shed for further scene of crime inspection, they disturbed a man who was stealing petrol from the remaining vehicles. The police officer gave chase as he tried to escape and he was arrested. Looe police have issued a description of the stolen quads. They are two Yamaha Breeze 125s in blue, valued at £3,290 each, three Yamaha Breeze 125s in white and black, worth £1,500 each, and a child's size Kazuma 50cc in yellow, valued at £588. Five helmets were also stolen, valued at £45 each. Anyone who saw any unusual activity at the Quad Centre between 5.45pm and 6.15pm on Monday, or who saw the quads being driven along the road towards Liskeard, or being loaded on to a vehicle, is asked to contact P C Barry Mills at Looe police on 08452 777 444 or call crimestoppers confidentially on 0800 555 111. Five helmets stolen from a previous raid at the Centre a month ago, have been recovered in Devon, and an arrest has been made.