Shock as Syston cricket club's gates rammed by thieves

A cricket club has expressed shock after a car was rammed in to its gates by thieves who smashed windows and stole maintenance equipment.

In a post on social media, Syston Town Cricket Club said offenders used a car to ram its main gate "causing immense damage" before stealing the till and stock from the club.

The club said offenders also used a car jack to break into containers and helped themselves to alcoholic drinks and other items of stock behind the bar.

Vice-chairman Dharmist Bathia said: "There was a game on Tuesday night and then when the groundsmen went down on Wednesday at about 8 o' clock in the morning the place had been ransacked.

"The gate had been smashed through, there's a couple of windows smashed and the sheds at the back where we keep some of the maintenance equipment were smashed up and broken into.

"There were a few items of stock taken and bits from behind the bar, as well as from the stock room. There were some beers and other alcoholic drinks taken.

"Overall, there was quite a bit of damage to the club in general which needed to be tidied up and then cleaned up."

Members of the club have appealed for help repairing the brick post at the entry to the ground.

Bathia said the club was "a fabric of the community type of place with a lot of local juniors and adults playing cricket".

"Cricket is fundamental to a lot of people that volunteer and play there," he said.

"We're a small volunteer organisation and it's the frustration and the time that's going to have to be put in by volunteers to get the club back to where it was.

"Everyone that's helping out has other roles and day-to-day things that they're involved with outside of the cricket club so it's truly appreciated."

Bathia said: "Our appeal is to local fans of cricket, people in the area who have enjoyed the ground and enjoyed the facilities to come together and support us in what is obviously quite a difficult and disheartening time for the club and everyone involved.

"Whilst the club has insurance, this will not cover the total extent of the damages and loss of goods for the club.

"Therefore, any donations will be much appreciated and will go a long way to restoring the facilities to the previous standards."

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