A COUPLE whose £20,000 catering van was stolen, putting them out of business, are bouncing back by launching a bistro in their village hall.

Anthony and Christine Hutchinson plan to start serving meals from Tuesday in the hall near their home in Butterknowle, near Barnard Castle.

A thief jumped into the vehicle and sped off after Mr Hutchinson, a former police officer, known as Hutch, pulled in to check his tyres at a filling station at Fir Tree, near Bishop Auckland, more than a week ago.

The cab and chassis were discovered abandoned at nearby Shildon, but the body of the van, containing all the expensive cooking equipment as well as a large amount of food, has not been found.

Mr Hutchinson said yesterday: "I am still waiting to hear what our insurance company will do. But instead of sitting around moping, we decided to bounce back and start earning again as quickly as possible."

He put his bistro idea to Nick Wilson, chairman of the village hall committee, and it was quickly accepted as an asset that could benefit many local residents.

The couple will serve food from Tuesday to Saturday each week, at lunchtime and again from 4pm to 7pm, with snacks starting at £1.20.

They also plan to deliver meals around the area, and once they get organised, will offer Sunday lunches in the hall.

Mr Hutchinson said: "Scrambled egg on toast will be £1.20. We will also have a lot of other snacks and sandwiches for around that price. People will also be able to call in just for a cup of tea or coffee.

"There is no local cafe anywhere near the village, so this will be a welcome amenity for everyone. I will do most of the cooking, but Christine will also help in the kitchen, as well as being a waitress. We are both excited about the venture."

There may be a problem with the van's insurance because Mr Hutchinson left the key in the ignition when he got out for a few moments to check the tyre pressure. He said: "I was foolish to do that. The lesson from this is that you should never leave your key in the ignition."

He had been doing brisk business for some months in a layby between Wolsingham and Frosterley before the vehicle was stolen.

Mr Hutchinson had to leave the police after he was injured in an incident at Middlesbrough.