A FOUNDER of a charity has vowed to carry on despite thieves stealing crucial equipment, including a forklift truck.

Burglars stole the six-tonne Linde forklift truck worth about £7,000 and thousands of pounds worth of other tools from the Stockton headquarters of ConvoyAid which helps children and families in Romania.

The forklift truck was used to load trucks with shoeboxes filled with toys for orphanages as well as essential goods for people in need. About 20,000 children benefit from the charity.

Without the truck the charity founder, Rod Jones, who is in his 60s, fears that even with help he won't be able to load the wagons to send the aid across Europe. However he has vowed the small charity will somehow carry on, even if less aid can be supplied. The equipment was not insured.

The burglary took place at the charity's lock-up on Blue House Point Road in Stockton and took place some time between Wednesday, December 10 and Friday, January 2.

Mr Jones said the charity had been indebted to the Linde forklift truck company who had 'sold' the old one to the charity for just a few pounds and had previously lent one on a regular basis.

But this time the charity was in a difficult position even with help from volunteers. Mr Jones said: "Linde were really fantastic with us, and we will always be very grateful.

"With extreme work we might be able to get the the boxes filled and the put on the pallets but then the wagons will come. But we just can't give up, we can't let these people win, there's people need us. We had a small charity, getting the right amount of aid to the right people. We'll have to scale down, but we can't give up."

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Martin Rowland on 101.