Callous thieves cause thousands of pounds worth of damage at Northamptonshire village sports club

The suspects also smashed up bottles of alcohol and left the site in a mess
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A sports club and the hub of a Northamptonshire village has been left badly damaged by intruders.

Brixworth Central Sports Club in St David’s Close was broken into at around 1.15am this morning (October 19), according to the club’s CCTV.

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The club is run by volunteers and is home to several football teams including juniors and Sands United Northants, which was set up specifically for men affected by the loss of a child.

Thieves caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a sports club overnight.Thieves caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a sports club overnight.
Thieves caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a sports club overnight.

CCTV at the club captured four ‘young people’ breaking into the premises through the external, fire doors.

Two TVs worth £4,000 each, plus another television, were ripped off the walls of the premises before being discarded on the playing field.

A small cash float was stolen from the register, which was also found discarded, and a bottle of Southern Comfort was taken.

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Bar manager Elizia Gathercole said: “I got a phone call at about 6.50am this morning to say it was all over Facebook that a dog walker has seen the doors wide open and the cash register on the park.

Some bottles of alcohol were taken and others were smashed up.Some bottles of alcohol were taken and others were smashed up.
Some bottles of alcohol were taken and others were smashed up.

“They’d taken three TVs off the wall, two of which were brand new last year, and they just left them all across the park.

“We need to get them tested and see if they are OK or whether there is water damage.

“They’d also ripped open the shutter on the bar with a crowbar and ripped the till out. They took the money from there, which was a small float.

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“They smashed all the bottles so it was a complete mess. They also took a few bottles of spirits and a crate of Smirnoff Ice that was also dumped across the field.”

TVs were ripped off the wall and left in the playing field.TVs were ripped off the wall and left in the playing field.
TVs were ripped off the wall and left in the playing field.

The thieves noticed there was CCTV in the building and ripped the unit off the wall. However, the footage was able to be recovered as the unit was left on site.

With the damage to the external doors and all the internal doors and locks, on top of what was stolen, Elizia is expecting the club to be thousands of pounds out of pocket.

She added: “It has left me gutted.

“It’s a nice little village we have here, so to think that someone could even come along and do that is horrible.

Costly damage was found throughout the premises.Costly damage was found throughout the premises.
Costly damage was found throughout the premises.
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“All the money we make through selling our beer is pumped straight back into the club to make it better for everyone.

“We are a non-profit and volunteers who run it put a lot of hard work into the club.

“Everybody is devastated, but the support we have had, with everyone asking if they can do anything, has been unreal.”

The club is shut until further notice as damage is assessed and mess is cleared up, meaning teams have been left unable to train.

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Nick Hilliker, captain of Sands United Northants, said: "Training and football is important but getting together is more important for everyone, especially during this time.

"I do not understand why they have damaged the rest of the premises as well as taking what they stole.

"It's frustrating. They robbed the club but they've also robbed people of their social lives."

While the club is closed, the team is looking for somewhere else to train so they can keep their all-important togetherness going.

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Northamptonshire Police are investigating the incident and are appealing for witnesses.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police officers are appealing for witnesses following a burglary.

“The incident took place between 3pm on Sunday, October 18 and 7am today (Monday, October 19), when the offender or offenders have forced open the front door and once inside have caused damage and stole a quantity of stock.

“A number of televisions and a cash box were recovered on a nearby field.”

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Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, has any information or saw anyone acting suspiciously should call police on 101 Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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