A youth football club based at Stoke Bardolph is counting the cost following a “devastating” act of vandalism over the weekend at their clubhouse.
Volunteers at Gedling FC, who have a ground in the village, say thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused by thieves who broke into the clubhouse on Saturday night and also stole a number of items.
A picture released by the club shows damage to the ceiling, lighting and fitness equipment.
In statement released on social media, the club said: “We were devastated this morning to find our clubhouse had been broken into overnight, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage and the theft of essential items.
“We’re a youth football club, run by volunteers, this really hurts everyone involved in our club. Any information on the low lives that did this would be greatly appreciated.”
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Police say they think the club was targeted by metal thieves.
Officers said they found the front door had been taken off, taps in both bathrooms had been stolen and portions of pipes were cut and stolen.
Some of the ceiling was also removed and copper pipes taken from the loft.
Police Constable Lyndon Brown, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry to trace those responsible for this despicable crime which has caused great upset to the club and the wider community.
“To target a facility used for the benefit and enjoyment of young people is shameful and I’d like to reassure people that we are doing everything we can to identify and locate the culprits who will be robustly dealt with.
“As part of our inquiries we would urge anyone who saw what happened, anyone who may have captured CCTV or dash-cam footage or anyone who has any other information that could help with our investigation to contact the police.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident 188 of 9 October 2022, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
To help find the funds to carry out repairs and replace the lost items, a GoFundMe page has been set up.
The online fundraiser has been set up by parent Nathan Page.
So far £480 in donations have been received – with a target of £2,500 set.
You can make a donation via the page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gedling-fc-club-house-raided-by-scumbags
