AN ARTISAN was left “devastated” after vandals flipped her three wheel door to door cheese delivery van on to its roof.

Lucie Inns woke yesterday morning to find her beloved van had been tipped over outside her home in The Drive, Hove.

Her partner saw the van for her specialist company Cheesology on its roof just before 8am and now Sussex Police are investigating the incident.

Ms Inns said it took four people to get the vehicle upright again and bemoaned: “I do not even know if it is salvageable.”

The 54-year-old cheesemonger said: “I was devastated. I could burst into tears.

“It is not just my livelihood it is a beautiful vehicle – a work of art.

“It gets loads of attention, people photograph it and it has got lots of character. I was just horrified and quite upset. I do not know anyone who would want to do that to me. I do not have enemies so I can only imagine it is someone off their head doing it as a prank. It is just idiots who think it is funny.”

The three-wheeler’s steering lock is now jammed, the roof and side panel buckled, the back door handle sheared off, and the cab soaked in petrol and oil.

Ms Inns added: “It had been parked further up with the steering lock on and they had pushed it down the road with the lock still on.

“They butted it against the curb and used it as a shelf to shovel it over. I reckon it must have taken two reasonably strong people or more.”

Cheesology delivers boxes of locally sourced specialist cheeses door to door as well as regularly featuring at markets and food fairs.

Sussex Police said: “We were called after a three-wheeled van was overturned in The Drive, Hove. It is believed offenders rocked the vehicle until it rolled on to its roof some time between 6pm on Monday and 7.40am yesterday.”

Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101.