Chairman of Hampshire community group 'over the moon' after charity's stolen minibus found
ITV News Meridian's Derek Johnson has been to meet the chairman of the charity
The chairman of a Hampshire community group says he is "over the moon" after the charity's stolen minibus was found.
The 17-seater van is owned by the Gosportarians and helps to transport people who might otherwise be isolated.
It has been used by Ukrainian refugees, a club for blind people, and twice-a-week by the Fun Group, a social club for young people with learning difficulties.
However, the minibus - named Jemima Tinkerbelle - was stolen on Christmas Day.
Malcolm Dent, chairman of the Gosportarians, said: "I had given up hope that it would come back because I thought it had been stolen to order."
However, he received a call from somebody this morning to say they had seen the minibus parked outside their house in Southampton.
Mr Dent said the vehicle has been damaged for example the lights have been ripped out of the ceiling but he is "over the moon" to have it back.
He said: "It was one of those things that at the age of 76 I thought I can't go through funding again to buy another minibus but it would disappoint so many people."
He added: "It's fabulous that it's back in circulation and I can carry on driving them around."
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