Cricket club trashed in raid

Ian Stewardson, treasurer of Standish Cricket Club, looks at the damage after the building was broken into and bar stock was stolen

Offenders caused thousands of pounds of damage to the clubhouse at Standish Cricket Club as they tried to get in by ripping wood panels off and smashing through the walls.

They then entered the stockroom and helped themselves to bottles of lager, wine and cider as well as a keg of beer which the club was storing to sell at its functions and events.

The Green Lane sports organisation has already been forced to cancel one booking due to having no drink and the volunteers who keep it going are bracing themselves for a bill of thousands of pounds to repair the damage.

The club is also urgently appealing for anyone who might have seen anything or thinks ill-gotten booze is being sold to contact the authorities.

Club treasurer Ian Stewardson said: “They have done quite a bit of damage as they’ve had a go at getting through in a couple of different places.

“The repairs are probably going to be more expensive than replacing what we’ve had stolen. I think we’re talking several thousand pounds.

“The lads who play cricket work really hard to keep this club going and we make a decent contribution to the local community so it feels like an insult when this happens.

“We raise cash throughout the year and then buy stock for us to sell at functions so when it gets nicked that all goes down the drain. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

The club thinks the offenders struck some time between the evening of Thursday, December 29 and the morning of Friday, December 30 when the damage was discovered.

So far no-one has come forward with eyewitness accounts and the club is also considering beefing up its security arrangements in the wake of the raid.

Standish Cricket Club runs senior teams and several junior sides for young people ranging from around nine years old to teenagers and also puts on community events including fireworks displays and beer festivals.

Police investigating the burglary have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed they were called about the incident at around 2.15pm on December 28.

Officers believe the break-in could have taken place at any time between around 11am on December 25 and 1.45pm on December 28.

The force confirmed that a large quantity of both alcohol and soft drinks had been taken in the raid.Anyone with information should contact 101, quoting reference number 926 for December 28.