POLICE are hunting thieves who broke into a cricket club and stole £11,000 of mowers and strimmers.

The ‘targeted theft’ happened at Longridge Cricket Club sometime between 7pm on August 6 and 8.15am on August 7.

Police said the thieves used a van to drive over security fencing on Chipping Lane and broke into a storage unit at the ground and took various items of garden equipment, including mowers and strimmers.

PC Heather McAtee said: “This has had a massive impact on this small cricket club and has resulted in them having no equipment to maintain the pitch and surrounding grounds.

“Given the lengths the thieves have gone to to gain access, we believe this must have been a targeted burglary.

“Chipping Lane can get quite busy during the night and so someone may have seen something. I am asking who may have seen anything suspicious in the area, in particular a large van/lorry or 4x4 driving at speed around the time of this incident, to get in touch.”

Anyone with information can call PC McAtee direct on 07967 823720 or if they fail to get through, 101, quoting incident reference 811 of August 7.