A young family has been left with virtually nothing after a 'man with a van' from Facebook drove off with £10,000 worth of belongings while helping them move home.
Becky Szenk, 22, and her fiancé Mark Higgins had booked a removal worker advertised as Lee Green to help them move from their flat to the pub which Mr Higgins manages in Walsall Wood, West Midlands.
But after the two workers loaded up the rental van, they drove off with the entire contents of the couple's flat - including the fridge freezer, washing machine and Ms Szenk's engagement ring - and were never seen again.
Becky Szenk and Mark Higgins (pictured with daughter Ariyah), from Walsall, West Midlands, lost all of their worldly possessions after two removal men drove off with their belongings during a house move
The missing items include a wardrobe, a settee, all their family photos and clothing and medical records for the couple's seven-month-old daughter Ariyah.
The Facebook page advertising the removal service has since been taken down.
Miss Szenk said the family have been left 'heartbroken'. 'They were supposed to meet my partner at the pub but never turned up. We have been left with virtually nothing,' she said.
'For us it's been a big lesson to learn. I just hope others can be more careful about trusting people they book over social media as I would hate for this to happen to anyone else.'
The two workers arrived in a rental van on Friday morning before packing the couple's items - which included everything except their television - into the van.
They managed to complete the job in 45 minutes and were then meant to drive eight miles to the Horse and Jockey pub, in which the couple have invested nearly all their money.
The couple wanted help moving from their flat to the pub Mr Higgins manages (in which Ms Szenk is pictured left and Mr Higgins, right). But the men drove off from the property with the belongings and were not seen again
The couple had booked a firm named Lee Green to move their possessions after finding them on Facebook (pictured). The Facebook page advertising the company has since been taken down
But what appeared to be professionalism to get a job done quickly in fact turned out to be haste to get away.
'It all happened so quickly,' Ms Szenk said. 'They were racing in and out of the flat. We just thought they were being very professional.
Ms Szenk said the family is 'heartbroken' and that it was a 'big lesson to learn'
'But once they drove away we didn't see them again.
'The men had told me in advance to pack all of our belongings into boxes and label them up clearly - I didn’t realise at the time, but they took the most valuable items first.
'When I commented on how fast they were completing their work, one of them told me that "we have a lot of jobs on today".'
She added: 'I have never cried more in my life than I did on Friday afternoon - I am so distraught that they have taken my engagement ring and my baby’s toys.'
Miss Szenk described the men as 'very polite and courteous'.
She said one, who had a Black Country accent, identified himself as Lee Green. According to his Facebook page, he lives in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton.
'The only thing they didn't get was the television, and that's only because we moved that ourselves in the car as we were worried about it getting damaged,' she added.
'It's left us absolutely heartbroken. We can get new furniture but the personal stuff cannot be replaced.'
West Midlands Police is investigating the alleged theft.
Spokeswoman Gina Lycett, said: 'Police are investigating a theft after a family from Bilston hired a "man with a van" to help them move house, advertised on a social networking site.
'A van was loaded with the family's belongings from Mount Pleasant in Bilston on 25 September. The man never arrived at their new home in Walsall.
'Detectives continue to investigate the theft and are appealing to anyone with information to call West Midlands Police on 101.'
A Gofundme page has been set up to raise money for the family which has so far collected £880 worth of donations.
The two workers arrived in a rental van at their home in Walsall, West Midlands (pictured) on Friday morning before packing the couple's items - which included everything except their television - into the van
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