DRAMATIC footage shows the moment “professional criminals” tore a gate from its hinges with a chain and a 4x4 before stealing a £24,000 caravan last week.

The incident was caught on CCTV by Heritage Caravan Storage in Blaenavon.

It shows thieves arrive at the site in Gilchrist Thomas Industrial Estate, at 9pm, last Wednesday.

Parking further up the road, in the dark, they first jumped the fence to prepare the caravan so they could take it away.

A spokesman for the caravan park said: “It took them about 15 minutes to remove all the wheel clamps and the rest of the security system from the caravan.

“They then waited for some time before they put the chain on the gate.”

The footage also shows the thieves wrapping a chain around the gate and connecting it to their car before driving off. It took more than six attempts for the gate to give way.

“It is a steel gate and has reinforced hinges, as well as having two sets of locks,” added the spokesman. “The locks didn’t break, they pulled the gates off their hinges.

“It must have been a horrific noise, I can’t believe no one heard them.”

Minutes later, the caravan - a 2011 Bailey, Unicorn Madrid model - was gone.

The spokesman said: “We have a feeling they are professional criminals, they are no novice. These are high value thefts, especially when adding up the damage.

“This is one of the most secure parks around, we have CCTV and special locks that are opened with keys that can’t be re-cut, for example.

“We are strict with our security rules.

“Everything is very secure.”

The spokesman also said the break-in had seen them lose a few customers already.

“But most people have been very understanding,” he said. “When they have seen the video, they realised what we are up against. There is so much determination, it is quite brutal how the gates were removed.

“We are now in the process of improving the cameras again. Improving our security is the only thing we can do.”

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 7.20am on Thursday, January 26, to reports of a damage caused to the gates of Heritage Caravan Storage and a caravan being stolen.

“The incident occurred between 9pm and 10.30pm on Wednesday January 25.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log 58 26/01/17.