YOUNG rugby players have been left heartbroken after a break-in at their clubhouse. Thieves stole money for a presentation evening due to be held this week for Hull Dockers younger teams.
The evening has had to be postponed while the club tries to raise the cash needed for well-earned trophies. It is thought about £500 was stolen from the safe at the club in Shelley Avenue, east Hull, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Gary Skelton, coach of the under-tens, said: "We help run the centre so the rugby can run from there and we do a fair bit of maintenance. We all muck in and work to raise money and it is a bit of an insult that someone would want to steal from the community that is doing something for the children.
"It is a kick in the teeth as a lot of us work really hard in there as well as having full-time jobs.We put our time in and this is an insult."
As well as the cash which was stolen, thieves smashed three memorial trophies that are handed out each year.
They are in honour of Ron Thacker, whose dream was to build a clubhouse for the community.
He set the wheels in motion for the clubhouse in 1998, but died the following year from cancer before it was built.
His son Stuart, whose grandsons play for the club, says he is upset the trophies, which are irreplaceable, have been smashed.
He said: "Dad strived to get the clubhouse built. It was always his dream. Unfortunately, he died and never got to see it built."
Ron's widow Joan dug the first piece of turf for the building on July 9, 2004, and the clubhouse and community centre was opened a short time later.
Mr Thacker said: "Whoever did this has forced the shutters up and taken the safe.
"They have taken all the money for the presentation and people are having to club round now.
"It gets me that they have smashed the memorial trophies, as you can't really replace those. I am particularly annoyed as the last thing he ever did was to have this built.
"Whoever has done this doesn't realise the damage it is doing to the kids.
"It's not just that, though, some of the money was for bills for the club."
A 27-year-old man was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of burglary and released on police bail pending further enquires.
Anyone with information about the theft should call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log 161, of September 22.
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