Investigations are under way after masked men stole a bolt tipper trailer from a haulage company in a late night raid.

Business owners said they were devastated after their property was broken into and a £25,000 trailer stolen.

The silver trailer was taken from Lowestoft trucking company, Spendlove Transport, on the evening of Monday, July 15, with the theft discovered by the owners early the next morning.

Company owner Mark Spendlove, 63, said he had the trailer - a 2014 model - for about three or four years.

He said: "It happened about 9pm on Monday, July 15.

"It was my best trailer - £25,000 worth of trailer - and we believe that vehicles have been looking at the site recently.

"They came well prepared, had masks on and the number plates were covered up.

"I came to the site on the Tuesday morning, around 5am, and found all the gates open and the trailer was gone.

"I looked at the CCTV tapes and there it was being stolen."

Fearing it is now "well gone", Mr Spendlove admitted it was a real blow to the business, and after passing on footage to the police he is now waiting to see what this turns up.

The haulage transport business has been based at Pinbush Close, on the South Lowestoft Industrial Estate, since 1996.

Mr Spendlove said: "We had petty thieving when we first moved up there, and a spate of people nicking diesel more recently - but I never thought that the trailer would go.

"They went full throttle for it."

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: "We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour in the area or if you have any information about the trailer, which is silver and had Y778 printed on the back and side."

Information to Suffolk Police quoting crime reference number 37/40714/24 via 101.