THREE men’s quest to drive to Mongolia in an ambulance for charity is in jeopardy after a van containing items vital to the trip was stolen.

Marcus Nimmo parked his son’s white Ford Transit work van outside the Genuine Army Surplus shop on North Road, Darlington, at about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Mr Nimmo, 61, said: “I left it less than a minute, right up in front of the shop. The next thing I heard was the screech of tyres, and all I saw was the van reversing and heading off into Thompson Street.”

The van was picked up by a police Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera, followed by another car, heading towards Teesside.

Mr Nimmo said: “The police told me that it looks like there was more than one person involved as a car was accompanying the getaway. I presume I had been followed to the shop. The ironic thing is that I had just filled the van up with diesel.”

The van is highly identifiable, with Mongolian stickers, as well as some from the charities that they are hoping to raise money for, plastered down the sides.

Mr Nimmo, of Hurworth, near Darlington, has been planning to take part in the Mongol Rally alongside Jim Edgeworth and Craig Morley, both from Darlington.

They are intending to drive an ambulance full of medical supplies on the 10,000-mile journey that takes them through Eastern Europe, before leaving the ambulance with the deprived citizens of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Although they are still hopeful of a successful trip, the theft of the van has caused a major problem to their plans.

Mr Nimmo said: “The van contained items worth about £5,000 to the charities we are supporting.”

It also had some of the medical supplies, such as mosquito nets that they were intending to take with them on the ambulance.

The men are still hoping for the return of the van and its contents and are due to leave on July 24.

Mr Nimmo added: “All we can do is hope that we can rally round.”

The men came up with the idea after becoming aware of low state of repair of the ambulance that the Mongolian residents are using.

Witnesses can call police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.