A STOLEN ride-on floor cleaner worth £10,000 has been reunited with its owner thanks to the Echo and its readers.

Nathan Barham was left devastated when his week-old scrubber dryer was stolen overnight from a farm off High Road, in Hockley.

Despite leaving the cleaner securely tightened with three locks, a wheel clamp, and latching it down to a hidden trailer, thieves escaped with both the cleaner and the £2,500 trailer.

With the help of an appeal from the Echo and a watchful eye from residents, the scrubber dryer has now been returned to it’s rightful owner.

The 29-year-old from Rochford, said: “It turns out it had been sold to a plant and machinery hire company on Canvey, obviously without them knowing it was stolen.

“They only bought it for £1,500 and hadn’t even had it a day before someone spotted it on an industrial estate outside their shop.

“They’d seen the article and messaged me on Facebook, with pictures and a video of it. I knew straight away it was mine where it’s so rare and is personalised with a USB port. It also has a jet wash welled on the back. I had to use the keys to prove it was mine. I felt bad for the company where they’d spent so much money on it, but it all started to add up and they realised.

“I honestly can’t believe it, the article went out last Monday, it was found on Tuesday and we had it back on Wednesday. I’m just over the moon.”

Now that the cleaner has been safely returned, Nathan no longer has to worry about his business being at risk.

He continued: “Whoever stole it still has the trailer, which is still crucial to us, but at least this means that I can return to work when the coronavirus outbreak has gone and all is back to normal.

“This means my brand new four year contract with the London event venue Tobacco Dock won’t be at jeopardy, we were so worried that we would lose it without the cleaner where we wouldn’t be able to do the jobs. It was a dream come true to be offered the deal in the first place, so I’m so grateful we have this back.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us- the paper, the man who found it, the Essex Crime and Surrounding Areas Page on Facebook, who shared the article around for me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”