EweMove for sale boards 'stolen' in Trowbridge and Melksham

Brian Marsh, the franchise owner of EweMove, says his boards have been taken from outside homes for sale in Trowbridge and Melksham.

Mr Marsh, who launched the Trowbridge franchise in 2016, said: “Unfortunately, we are being targeted by thieves in the local area.

“Our For Sale boards keep being stolen from outside Trowbridge and Melksham properties. This has been ongoing for a long period.

“The entire board and post are being removed from outside of houses so it's not just damage but actual theft, and removal of the boards.

“We have reported this to the local police who are looking into this for us. We have passed on who we think may be doing this as we have suspicions based on patterns and other related activities.”

EweMove estate agency claims its 'for sale' boards are being stolen and has reported the thefts to police. Trevor Porter 77222-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

He added: “It’s happening quite frequently, probably about one a month. It’s always the boards that are the most visible and the most prominent. They just completely disappear.

“These boards cost around £40 each to replace, plus the cost of erection and repair. This has been going on for a long period so it's not new.”

Sometimes, the EweMove staff notice that their boards have vanished, on other occasions they get a message from the vendor saying the board has gone.

"We might leave them there for three months while the sale is going through," Mr Marsh said.

"Sometimes the vendor will say the board has gone and we didn't know it had been taken. On other occasions, our staff will be driving by and notice that it is gone."

EweMove Trowbridge franchise owner Brian Marsh suspects a commercial rival is stealing his 'for sale' boards.  (Image: Trevor Porter)

Mr Marsh added: “Can we please ask anybody who sees or witnesses one of our signs being removed from outside a house or damaged they report it to the police.

“If you have video footage or photos, especially of a vehicle or registration number could you pass this on to the police or us by calling our office on 01225 430776."

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said "around 10" boards have been stolen over the past year.

They added: "I can see this has been closed with no further action due to no proportionate further lines of enquiry. The file will be opened if more information comes to light."

Anyone who knows anything or has any information that may be of interest, contact Wiltshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 54240081765.