'Power of the press': Stolen food truck that supported Leeds United charity walk recovered after Yorkshire Evening Post appeal
A stolen food truck, that has fed Leeds United charity walkers and children at schools across the city, has been recovered by police following an appeal by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The distinctive bright yellow van was stolen from Hough End Lane, Bramley, at around 2.15am on Tuesday (September 2), sparking a wave of support from the community.
Nick Powell, owner of the van and company PE Partner, has credited the “power of the press” and “Leeds’s community spirit” with the vans swift recovery.
The van was recovered by West Yorkshire Police yesterday afternoon, following an online appeal run by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Nick said: “Within two and a half hours of the story going on the Yorkshire Evening Post website, the police rang me to say they had had loads of calls from people saying they had seen the YEP story and it’s parked at the end of their street.
“It really was the power of the press. I am just so grateful to Graham, Nina and everyone at the YEP or else we might never have got the van back.”
In June, Nick and his wife Maggie, took the truck on a 100-mile round trip to support Leeds United fans taking part in this year's third edition of the Gary Speed Charity Walk - first introduced by fanzine The Square Ball.
The Powells drove the van to Morton-on-Swale Village Hall and parked up to welcome the walkers, having previously counted themselves among the group.
He also uses the “hybrid-use” vehicle, to promote physical activity for children in primary schools across the city and delivered more than 7,000 meals to pupils this summer as part of Leeds City Council’s Healthy Holidays Scheme.
Crediting Leeds’s famous community spirit, Nick added: “It restored my faith in people because for every person making the wrong choices, there’s hundreds trying to help. There were a lot of sighting, a lot of community spirit and I think the Leeds United link definitely helped with that.
“It’s just such a relief. It was getting a bit ridiculous just how many people were coming forward to help and it was really heart-warming. We’re just a small business so any media coverage and help like that makes such a big impact.”
Nick and the team at PE Partner are now preparing for the return of their after school clubs, having been forced to delay them following the van’s theft.
The van will also be used to deliver the company’s October half-term clubs and their Christmas healthy holidays scheme, providing club’s and hot meals to children from low-income families.
Anyone who has any further information on the van’s theft is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police via their 101 platform, quoting the crime reference number 13250503925.