A well-known city centre trader is heartbroken after his brand new, £30,000 catering trailer was stolen just weeks after he bought it.

Dragovan Dobricic, who runs the take-away fast food van at the junction of Darley Street and Kirkgate, said he was "so proud" of the new trailer, which he bought with money saved from selling food over the last decade.

The purpose-built van, designed by Mr Dobricic, was stolen from a secure lock-up in Garnett Street, just off Leeds Road, by thieves who cut through wire fencing and smashed off the vehicle's wheel clamps.

The 45-year-old, originally from Serbia, said: "I can't believe it has been stolen. I am still in shock at what's happened.

"I bought the van to look nice as part of the regeneration taking place. They have done a lot of work to improve Darley Street and I wanted to invest in Bradford and provide something that looked really nice."

Mr Dobricic, who has been forced to revert to selling burgers and jacket potatoes from his old van, said his new state-of-the-art van had attracted a string of compliments in the six weeks before it was stolen.

He said: "I was so proud when I got the van because everyone who comes here said it was really nice and posh. Now it has disappeared and it's heartbreaking.

"I kept it in a yard surrounded by fencing, with really good locks, wheel clamps and other security measures. I thought this would never happen.

"I am insured, but when you work so hard and put in so much effort to get something nice, it's still really sad. It's not really about the money."

Mr Dobricic said he had personally drawn up the designs for the van and sent them off to a specialist company for the vehicle to be purpose-built to his specification. The design included a new oven for jacket potatoes and two separate grills.

He said Dobricic Foods had been based in Bradford city centre for 14 years, and added that his regular customers were very sorry to hear of the theft.

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade, said: "It's sad that something as important as the vehicle he is trading from has been stolen, especially when he seemed to have taken appropriate steps to protect it."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "We are looking into the incident and inquiries are continuing.

"The theft of a catering trailer was reported just after 9am on January 2."

email: will.kilner @bradford.newsquest.co.uk