A PENDLE councillor has helped secure a £500 grant to help Colne FC recover from its third break-in in just over a year.

Thieves smashed their way into the amateur football club's cafe last week and cooked burgers on a griddle before scrawling 'thank you burger was great, Joey's back at it' onto a wall next to the cafe price list.

They then left a trail of destruction such as broken windows and doors and stole around 10 bottles of spirits after helping themselves to hot drinks and defrosting the bread to accompany their burgers.

But Tory councillor Joe Cooney, of the Vivary Bridge ward, has now kindly made sure that the club will receive a £500 grant from the Colne and District Area committee to improve security and upgrade CCTV .

Mr Cooney said that the club did some great work and deserved some help in getting back on their feet and preventing any further trouble.

He said: "In a way I think the club was an easy target because it is dark up there and that's why we needed to get the CCTV upgraded. Hopefully with the new high tech they can put a stop to all these people causing trouble.

"They do a great job and run an academy and junior section. They're getting more and more people watching them every week so I think it's only right they receive the council's support.

"£500 will go a long way and will mean a lot to them. The council doesn't have much money but £500 is small to us and big to them.

"I am sure people might have some idea who it is that keeps doing this to the club and I hope that they come forward so we can catch the culprits."

The theft, which was reported to police, happened sometime between 7pm and 10pm on Saturday, January 2 after the club was locked for the night following a match.

It followed another break-in during September last year where burglars sprayed milk over the walls and again stole spirits.

It was estimated by volunteer Janette Harris that the damage caused this time would cost in the region of £1,000.