Producer of Dear Zoo ‘devastated’ after tour bus stolen in Peterborough and tour cancelled

The Dear Zoo tour had been on the road since February, delighting thousands of youngsters across the country.

But, on Saturday the van continuing all the sets, costumes and props - worth about £50,000 - was stolen in Peterborough.

The tour had a number of sold out dates in the diary, but the show has had to be cancelled - which has also left six actors out of work.

Producer Chris Davis said he was ‘devastated’ by the theft.

He said: “There is huge sadness for the six people I have had to make redundant, and the thousands of people who had tickets to come and see the show.

“Why they took a van clearly marked up as part of a children’s theatre show I don’t know. There is nothing of value in the van for anyone else - just sets, costumes and puppets.

“We can’t get the set replaced for another six weeks, so we have had to cancel the rest of the tour.

“We do this job for the children - for many it is their first experience of the theatre.

“This week we had four sell out shows in Bromsgrove - we have had to tell all those people the show has been cancelled. It is devastating.”

Mr Davis said he was meeting with the firm’s insurers this week to see if a planned autumn tour could go ahead.

A tracker had placed the van in Grantham shortly after the theft, and Mr Davis said he had been to the town to try and find the van over the weekend, with no success. He said the tracker had now been disabled.

The Mercedes van, with a registration of CA67 NLX had been parked in Cecil Road, Peterborough when it was taken.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.