POLICE are looking for thieves who stole a three-tonne crane from a haulage depot.

The crane was mounted on the back of a truck taken after burglars broke into the depot in Stockton, late on Wednesday night.

Police later recovered the burnt-out remains of the truck on a stretch of road near Darlington.

However, the thieves had used blow torches to remove the £30,000 crane from the back of the vehicle.

Jason Lee, owner of the depot, in Clarence Road, said that whoever had taken the crane knew what they were looking for and must have had access to specialist equipment.

Mr Lee said: "You are talking about a three-tonne crane here. This is not something you can easily remove. They must have had lifting equipment of an equal size to the crane to have got it off the back of the truck.

"Whoever did this clearly knew exactly what they were doing and must have planned it in advance."

The thieves scaled a 10ft wall and cut through three layers of barbed wire to get into the depot. The truck was found abandoned close to midnight in a lay-by on the A66 near Darlington.

Mr Lee, who owns Lee Light Haulage, said the small family-run business had been severely affected by the theft.

He said: "It's really devastating for everyone involved with the firm. Trying to replace a crane like that is not easy and in the meantime we've lost a lot of business. A theft like this could put us back five years."

The model of the crane is a Hiab 250. It is capable of lifting more than 11 tonnes and can be operated by remote control.

Anyone with information about the crane is asked to contact PC David Marlowe, of Cleveland Police, on (01642) 302226.