A TREE feller has spoken out after opportunist thieves stole specialist first aid equipment including a kit for trauma victims from his van in Rushall.

Rhys Dobbs, 34, was working on the A342 near to the Charlton Cat cafe and had left his van at the site overnight.

When the former RAF serviceman opened up the van the following morning his team realised that several items had been stolen, costing in excess of £600.

Among the items taken included a trauma kit for treating victims, which Mr Dobbs keeps in the van in case of an emergency during the team’s dangerous day job.

He said: “Our first aid kit is quite extensive and has a trauma kit, which we could also use if we came across any small road traffic accidents.

“We are all trained to a high level in first aid. The items we had were quite high end, such as a tourniquet and a blood clotting spray.

“I think it was done by opportunist thieves, who probably don’t know the value of these items. The worst thing is that they probably just dumped the trauma kit as they won’t know how to use it properly.”

Mr Dobbs, from Tidworth, spent 12 years in the RAF, including six years in Scotland working in mountain rescue before retraining with the RAF rehabilitation programme and gaining a diploma in tree felling.

His company Rhys Dobbs Tree Services now has a team of five running felling projects.

He added: “After my time in the RAF I wanted to continue working outdoors and this job is so varied that we are always using a variety of skills.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “Wiltshire Police received a report of a theft from a tipper vehicle, which was parked on the A342 near to the Charlton Cat.

“The theft occurred overnight between January 19 and January 20 2018, and the items stolen included a fuel spill kit, a first aid kit and a rucksack containing items of clothing.”

For more informaiton on Mr Dobb's services visit https://www.rhysdobbstreeservices.com/