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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Minibus full of snakes, meerkats, spiders and birds of prey stolen | Minibus full of snakes, meerkats, spiders and birds of prey stolen |
| (2 days later) | |
| A converted minibus containing £20,000 of animals including snakes, meerkats, birds of prey and a venomous spider was stolen from a car park. | |
| The vehicle belonged to Natural History Presentations, which visits schools in the West Midlands to do presentations. | The vehicle belonged to Natural History Presentations, which visits schools in the West Midlands to do presentations. |
| It was taken from St Andrew's church car park in Sedgley on Tuesday. | It was taken from St Andrew's church car park in Sedgley on Tuesday. |
| The minibus was later found abandoned near a row of garages in Central Drive, Lower Gornal. All animals apart from two snakes have been found. | The minibus was later found abandoned near a row of garages in Central Drive, Lower Gornal. All animals apart from two snakes have been found. |
| Owner Paul Beech, 59, said he had left the van unoccupied for about two hours while he went to the Bulls Head pub to discuss a job. | Owner Paul Beech, 59, said he had left the van unoccupied for about two hours while he went to the Bulls Head pub to discuss a job. |
| 'Sheer panic' | 'Sheer panic' |
| "When I saw they were gone I went blank," he said. | "When I saw they were gone I went blank," he said. |
| "It was sheer panic." | "It was sheer panic." |
| He said he recovered most of the animals - including the venomous Chilean rose tarantula - when police called him in the early hours of the morning to say they had found the LDV Convoy minibus. | |
| Mr Beech said he would return to try and find the two missing snakes - a carpet python and California king snake. Neither were venomous, he added. | |
| The minibus had minor damage to it from where the lock had been forced. | The minibus had minor damage to it from where the lock had been forced. |
| "The animals were the main thing," Mr Beech said. | "The animals were the main thing," Mr Beech said. |
| "You can always get another vehicle. It was a big relief." | "You can always get another vehicle. It was a big relief." |