Thomas the Tank Engine land train stolen as police hunt 'mystery Scotsman'

Police are on the trail of a mystery Scottish thief feared to have stolen a Thomas the Tank Engine land train used to ferry holiday makers along a Suffolk seafront.

The popular attraction, which has two passenger carriages, was taken from a secure blue shipping container, in which it is kept overnight in Lowestoft.

Darren Weaver, a friend of the owner, said there was reason to believe it was on its way to Scotland.

He told the Telegraph that the train had recently been put up for sale and had generated a lot of interest from potential buyers in the country.

“One character in particular had made some comments to businesses along the seafront so the police have pursued that line,” he said.

The distinctive blue train, which has a Thomas the Tank Engine face and an orange canopy, is understood to have been advertised on eBay with a reported asking price of £10,000.

The owner, who does not want to be identified, told the local newspaper he was “devastated.”

He added: “I turned up for work as usual at about 10.45 on Tuesday morning.

“As I was approaching the container where the train is stored, I could tell something wasn’t right. When I got there, I saw the locks had been broken and the train was gone.

“This is a 40ft container we’re talking about and it would have taken a 25 tonne truck with a big crane to hoist the train onto the back. Whatever vehicle was parked there has taken down a lot of branches from the nearby trees.”

Suffolk police confirmed that a lorry and a crane would have been required to move it.

Officers have been seizing CCTV footage from the area and appealed for witnesses.

They said it was taken some time between 4.30pm on Tuesday and 10.45am on Wednesday.

The train was introduced in Lowestoft as part of an economic regeneration plan which coincided with the completion of a £3.5 million coastal protection scheme in 2016.