A businessman is offering a £500 reward for the return of a haul of bouncy castles which were stolen in a targeted raid on his van.

Tyran Taylor, 29, believes a potential rival may be responsible for stealing the distinctive items in a bid to set up against him.

But Mr Taylor, who runs the business from premises in Cleckheaton, helped by his girlfriend Suzanne Awde, says the thieves have wasted their time.

“They can’t get away with it because they are all distinctive. It’s rare to see the same castle twice. I would definitely know if I saw them again,” he said.

“I am offering £500 to get the equipment back. Whoever has got them are going to have to sell them, so they might as well sell them to me. If I get them back, I’ll be happy.”

Mr Taylor had parked and locked his van outside the couple’s home in Rooley Lane, Odsal, on Monday evening. When he returned to it the following morning the lock had been tampered with and seven bouncy castles had been stolen from the back of the van, along with blowers to inflate them, extension leads and a generator.

He said: “It is going to cost us about £3,500 to replace them, which will take a couple of weeks because the manufacturers are very busy, so there will be a loss of income as well. We have also had to cancel some bookings because three of the stolen castles had special slides and people specifically wanted them.

“It’s a blow. We have made a lot of sacrifices to build up the business since we started it six years ago. It is a seasonal business so we have to make money in a short period of time.”

The stolen castles were multi-coloured – red, yellow and green – with stars on.

“Whoever has stolen them knew what they were doing and seem to have targeted me,” said Mr Taylor. “They left other things, but they took everything to make a bouncy castle work. I think a potential business rival is behind this.”

A police spokesman confirmed they were investigating a theft from a vehicle in Rooley Lane. Inquiries are ongoing and witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to contact Bradford South Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.