Thieves targeting youth soccer club (From Oxford Mail)

Thieves targeting youth soccer club

7:00am Tuesday 10th January 2012 in News By Laura Jones

BURGLARS and vandals are repeatedly attacking a youth football club to steal goalposts, wiring, piping and even the changing room sink.

The yobs have caused damage worth thousands of pounds at Littlemore Youth FC’s clubhouse on the Cowley recreation ground site, off Long Lane and Herschel Crescent.

The club has vowed to continue to hold home games despite the changing rooms being left without power.

On December 16, locks to the changing rooms were damaged as thieves tried to get into the clubhouse.

Raiders again damaged the locks and smashed up the urinals between 1pm on December 20 and 9am on December 21.

The thieves stole a sink unit from the changing rooms before pulling copper piping away, causing the changing room to flood with water.

They also stripped away copper cable from the electrics, leaving the changing rooms without power.

Between 40 and 50 children turn out each week to play in the club’s under-10, under-11 and under-13 teams but currently have no changing room.

Chairman Peter Kinch said: “We are all very despondent. We have cleaned up a bit, but we’ve got no electricity – they took the cable and the fuses out.

“All of that was redone last year and cost nearly £3,000.”

It’s not the first time criminals have caused havoc at the club.

Mr Kinch said: “Earlier in the year we had the brand new goal crossbars stolen.

“They are probably selling them for scrap.”

He speculated that the thieves returned to take the new goalposts, which the club ran a fundraising campaign to buy.

The new goals were not stored in the changing room on the night of the break-in.

Mr Kinch said: “You just think ‘why do we do it? What’s the point of carrying on?’ “But we will carry on – we’ve been here long enough.”

Police are conducting house to house inquiries.

Concern is growing over UK scrap metal thefts as public buildings like churches and schools are hit by criminals eager to cash in on rising prices.

The Government has pledged action including compulsory registration for those selling scrap, identity checks and a possible ban on cash payments.

As reported in the Oxford Mail, Thames Water is marking its metal with a substance that can be seen under ultra-violet light.

And Oxfordshire County Council is testing out fibreglass manhole covers.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.