We asked the Cambridge police what actually happened to the Van of Death

Uncle Frank’s takeaway food van has been confirmed as stolen by the Cambridgeshire police. The van’s operator is currently offering a £3,000 reward to anyone who can find the missing van.

The Cambridge Tab emailed the police to confirm the theft, which was reported on 26th January.

The takeaway businesses, known by Cambridge students as the “Van of Death” is usually stationed in Market Square. Uncle Frank’s posted about the robbery on its Facebook page, claiming there would be a “cash reward” for anyone who could return the stolen van.

The post has since received 75 comments, with some users claiming that the theft was faked. One person commented: “Imagine, probably faked it for the insurance claim,” whilst another said “[t]his just screams insurance claim.”

(Credit: Camfess via Facebook)

The Cambridge police were able to tell us that a theft was reported to them at a location in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. The Cambridge Tab then spoke to the van’s operator, Hilmi Silfikir, who was able to verify both the location and date of the robbery. He also explained that he has a warehouse in Waterbeach where he has been parking for almost a year due to the pandemic.

Hilmi claims that the Van of Death was stolen at 18:18 according to CCTV footage, and that he personally noticed that the van was missing at around midnight on the 26th January. He reported the incident to the police the following morning.

When asked about the “cash reward” offered on the Uncle Frank’s Facebook page, Hilmi said: “I will really give money to those who find it. I’ll give £3,000 to anyone who does.

“We are still waiting on more information but I hope that one day it will be found at that there will be good times ahead.”

Since then, Hilmi has bought a new van and is still operating a delivery service for customers in Cambridge.

(Credit: Uncle Frank’s via Facebook)

Hilmi said the Van of Death will likely not be returning to Market Square until May or June, depending on the pandemic.

If anyone has any information about this theft, please call 101 quoting 35/4695/21, or contact the Cambridgeshire police via webchat. 

Feature image credit: Uncle Frank’s via Facebook and Camfess via Facebook