Dr Feelgood lose instruments and gear in van theft

Rock band Dr Feelgood have been left without instruments and equipment after their van was stolen a week before an upcoming tour.

Bassist Phil Mitchell, 71, said items taken included a bass guitar he had bought when he was 17.

The theft took place outside his home in Hockley, Essex, between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

"We have a tour of Germany booked starting next week so you can imagine the chaos it is causing us," he said.

The Mercedes Sprinter van, which the band had been using for the past 10 years, contained a drum kit, amplifiers and four guitars.

Mitchell said the estimated value of the stolen equipment was between £10,000 and £12,000.

"We had invested a lot of money into it and it had been kitted out for touring with comfortable seats and electricity inside - it even has a fridge in it," he said.

Now they will have to hire a tour bus and equipment to replace the stolen items.

Essex Police said the total estimated loss was £70,000, when factoring in the value of the instruments and the van, including the work carried out on the vehicle.

The force said officers were carrying out house-to-house inquiries and investigating CCTV footage.

Mitchell said he had had a tour van parked on his drive for the past 40 years, adding: "The van was our storeroom."

Once dubbed "Britain's best live band", Dr Feelgood were formed on Canvey Island, Essex, in 1971 and paved the way for punk with their high-energy stage performances and stripped-down style of rhythm and blues.

The band's original singer Lee Brilleaux died in 1994 and legendary guitarist Wilko Johnson died in 2022.

They have had numerous line-up changes over the years and now consist of Mitchell, Kevin Morris, Robert Kane and Gordon Russell.

Police officers have asked anyone with information to contact them.

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