Outside broadcast trailer stolen from Thorngate car park
GOSPORT HOSPITAL RADIO STILL WAITING FOR POLICE TO ACT
By GHR Chairman BOB WHITBREAD
IN THE early hours of Saturday, August 12, between 2.30am and 2.40am, a large car drove into the car park behind Gosport’s Thorngate Halls.
The occupants stopped near the Gosport Hospital trailer, examined the trailer’s lock on the towbar. returned to their four-wheel-drive vehicle, drove out of the car park and within six minutes were back with, we assume, a bolt cutter to remove the clamp on the towbar.
Within a couple of minutes they had hitched up the trailer and drove off onto the main road. There were also items – including two 24-volt batteries and a charger – that were removed by these same people from a yacht that was beside the trailer.
Despicable
What we find despicable is the fact the trailer was not in good condition and was of no value other than to GHR for fundraising at outside events. It displayed GHR stickers and was obviously used for a charity.
We contacted the police; we also retrieved a CCTV video of the vehicle leaving the car park but it is impossible to read the registration. We twice contacted the Portsmouth News but they have not got back to us.
We have also informed our insurance company but it is unlikely that any compensation will be enough to replace the loss of the trailer.
Although we never left any of our PA systems in the trailer, we did leave some cables and leads that we will also have to be replaced.
We have not yet had a response from the police.
Desperate
We are in desperate need of a trailer, 10ft x 6ft approximately, so that we can provide a PA service for other charities in our area. They in turn donate funds to GHR so if there is anyone out there who knows of a trailer that may be available for our use we would be very grateful.
Our charity supplies radio music news and live shows to patients and staff at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital. We also have an app, are on Facebook @gosporthospitalradio and our website Gosport Hospital Radio | Bringing Gosport closer to you… – Charity Number 1011450 (radiohaslar.co.uk) and for those who would rather stay at home and listen to our services, of course this all takes funding and we have been doing this for nearly 30 years.
On a separate issue, next year, March 2023, we will be celebrating 30 years, first as Radio Haslar and now Gosport Hospital Radio, and we look forward to hear from as many people who were involved with the charity over that period of time to contact us if they wish to be invited to our celebrations.
PICTURED: The stolen GHR trailer was a familiar sight at fundraising events in and around Gosport. Photograph courtesy of Bob Whitbread
