A St George’s welder is asking for the public’s assistance in tracking down about 400lbs of stolen tools, taken from the Airport Dump over the National Heroes Weekend.

Logan Leslie, of Scotian Steelworks, said that he had been hired to modify several containers for use in the Parade of the Bands event in Southside. While he said he and a co-worker completed work on three containers, he was contacted on the Friday before the event and asked to work on a fourth.

“I really wanted the Bermuda carnival to go well,” he said. “It’s something good for tourists and for young people.”

He and his employee went to the airport dump facility, but became concerned the container was not in good enough shape to be properly modified. Unable to contact the organiser, he left the site, returning shortly after 4pm only to be told by his employee that they had locked up the dump at 4pm.

Mr Leslie said his tools had been secured in a closed container near the eastern end of the property, and so he decided he would return and collect the them later.

Wet weather kept him from the dump on Saturday and the facility remained closed on Sunday and Monday for the holiday. When he returned on Tuesday, the container was almost empty as a number of his tools — valued at around $2,500 — had been taken.

Looking around, he found some of his tools on the side of a nearby dirt road, leaving him to suspect that they had fallen out of a vehicle as the thieves tried to leave the area.

Among the approximately 400lbs of items still missing are two torches with 50ft of hose, two 4.5in mini grinders, a DeWalt cordless 20 volt impact driver with the name Logan burnt into it, a hard-hat, a welder’s chipping hammer, a 2lb hammer and full bottles of oxygen and acetylene.

“I have been asking around, and I have been led to believe that the tools are probably still in the east end,” he said. “It’s possible they never even left the dump.

“There only so many people who have access to the dump. Not everyone in Bermuda knew my tools were there and 99.9999 per cent of Bermudians would never ever do this.”

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the stolen tools is urged to contact Mr Leslie at scotiansteelworks@gmail.com.