East Lothian crime: Belter's Snacks van stolen from East Lothian street throughout the night as owner left devastated

A devastated business owner has had ‘everything taken away' from her after heartless thieves made off with her snack van.

Angela Thompson broke down in tears when she discovered that her Belter’s Snacks van, which she has run for two years, had been stolen.

She arrived at the van’s usual spot - on the lay-by on the A198 near Fishersgate Road, leading to the village of Port Seton – on Friday morning and found the vehicle had vanished.

It soon became clear that, despite safety measures being in place, thieves had found a way to wheel the van away.

"There are wheel clamps on the van. It looked like it had been cut off and thrown onto the train tracks,” said Angela.

She instantly called the police and an investigation has now been launched.

"I am absolutely devastated,” she said. “This was my life. Business was going really well and it’s all been taken away from me.”

Not only was the van, which supplies lorry drivers, passersby and locals with homemade hot food, drinks and snacks, important to Angela as her business and source of income, but it also held a special memory of her late dad.

East Lothian crime: Belter's Snacks van stolen from East Lothian street throughout the night as owner left devastated

"I’ve ran the business for about two years. I lost my dad the week before it opened. This business is my world,” she said.

Angela’s son Paul was also left reeling by the theft, which he said had broken his mum’s heart.

He took to social media to ask the public for help to locate the van and return it to its rightful owner.

He said: “Just to say, if people could keep a look out for my mum’s burger van. Someone has stolen my mum’s van, took the wheel clamps off.

Angela has said she's been crying all day since finding her van stolen on Friday morning.

"Why are people so cruel? My mum has worked so hard getting all these different events and working everyday for someone to steal that all away.

"Some people are so ruthless. My mum is breaking her heart.”

Angela also asked anyone with information to come forward to help the investigation.

“If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch,” she said.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to reports of a vehicle having been stolen on Fishersgate Road, Seton Mains at around 5.40am on Friday, May 13.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”