Thieves stole a charity’s quad bike from Inchture and rode it 11 miles into Dundee then set it on fire.
The valuable bike was found alight in Fintry on Wednesday night and firefighters had to tackle the blaze.
Christian charity Teen ranch Scotland, which provides activity holidays for disadvantaged children, has been devastated by the loss of the £5,000 vehicle in the run-up to Christmas.
The Inchture group’s Pam Drew said it is going to be difficult for the charity to replace the vital vehicle.
“It is such a valuable piece of equipment and, as a charity, we don’t have the funds to replace it, especially at this time of year,” she said.
“It is a great loss for us. It was our only one and it is used constantly. We have 58 acres and a lot of it is inaccessible for other vehicles.
“Our maintenance staff use it to collect the bins and move equipment around. It’s a bit concerning that it made it all the way to Dundee. I wouldn’t drive it all that way.”
The winter period is a struggle for the charity, which caters for 62 young people from all backgrounds.
Pam added: “We have a lot of outgoings at this time of year and very little coming in. We rely heavily on donations.
“We just hope and pray that we will get enough funds to replace it. Although it was insured, I don’t think the money we get back will cover the costs of a new one.”
Pam said she wants the thieves to understand the impact the theft had on the charity and the young people who use it, as well as its staff who now feel unsafe where they live and work.
Police are hunting the thieves and have asked for the public’s help. A spokeswoman said: “Police are keen to trace a man who was seen in the area on a quad bike shortly before the incident, at around 9.30pm. He is described as having short, dark hair, wearing a dark-coloured top and shorts.
“Officers are also keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a man running towards the junction of Rowantree Crescent and Fountainbleau Drive, and left the area in a dark- coloured car at around 10.05pm.”
Anyone with information is being asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.