BOSSES at a Hampshire supermarket have been driven mad after more than 300 "theft-proof" trolleys were stolen from their store.

The trolleys, worth over £40,000, were taken from the Asda store in Southampton city centre in just ten days.

Staff are tearing their hair out after being left with just 144 trolleys out of their fleet of 450.

Now they are asking for help in finding the missing carts before the Christmas rush.

Customer services manager Sue Hendy said: "I can't believe it. We've got the £1 locks on them and we've got wheel locks on them, but they've disappeared.

"We've been without them for about three weeks. Our collection people knew where they thought they might be, but they're not there - they've disappeared off the face of the earth.

"The first year we had them we lost about 40, but to lose 300 in ten days is very scary."

With each trolley worth more than £135, the loss could prove very costly for Asda.

But money is not the store's only worry - Asda's reputation is also at stake.

Sue said: "It's causing a major problem at the moment - we're served by a 12-storey car park and people are getting quite upset when they can't get a trolley.

"You can imagine what people are thinking of the store."

Another 100 trolleys have been ordered in preparation for Christmas, but unless the missing trolleys are returned, the store is still going to struggle.

Sue added: "We want them back - we don't want to fill the city with them. I'm putting out a plea out for help. If you know where the trolleys are, will you please let us know and we will come to collect them."

Do you know where all the ASDA trolleys have gone? Contact the Daily Echo newsdesk on: 023 80 424 500.