Break-in leaves football club with £20,000 bill

Break-in leaves football club with £20,000 bill21 minutes agoGavin KermackKidderminsterGavin Kermack / BBCClub chairman Derek Senior said the burglary had brought him to tearsPlayers and volunteers at a youth football club say they are "heartbroken" after a break-in which saw an estimated £20,000 worth of equipment taken.A John Deere riding lawnmower that the club bought just a year ago, canisters of diesel and food and drink were taken from locked containers at Mostyn Rangers FC in Kidderminster.The club's chairman Derek Senior said he was "full of tears" when he arrived at the ground and realised what had happened."I arrived full of beans because I was going to cut the field," he said. "I can't really talk about it a lot, because I'll just lose it."Gavin Kermack / BBCVice-chairman Steve Fox said raising the money to replace the stolen goods was a huge challengeVice-chairman Steve Fox said he was "very, very upset" when he saw what had happened."We ain't got 10 pence to spare, never mind 20 grand," he said.Fox added that "every single penny" the club has comes from players' families and friends, as well as occasional fundraisers."But to raise 20 grand, it's a hell of a job to do."Mostyn Rangers FCTwo containers at the club were targeted last weekAlan Yenson, assistant manager of the under-12s team, said it was "heartbreaking" to see what had happened."We do this for the kids, we're not doing it for our own enjoyment," he said.Gavin Kermack / BBCUnder-12s assistant manager Alan Yenson has set up a fundraiser for the clubYenson has started a crowdfunding page in the hope of raising enough money to repair the damage."The response from people I've never heard of, and people we know - I think within 48 hours we'd raised £2,500," he said. "Obviously there's still a really long way to go."We've just got to hope that there are other generous people in the local area that will chip in and will support us."Gavin Kermack / BBCUnder-8s player Jessie and under-12s Casey, Zac and Lucas said they "couldn't believe" what had happenedOne of the under-12s players, Casey, said the club meant "everything" to him."I was like, there's no way that actually happened," he said. "It was just a big shock really.""It's been just heartbreaking," added his teammate, Zac.In a statement, West Mercia Police said: "We received a report on Monday 23 March of a burglary at the playing fields off Lea Castle Drive in Kidderminster."An investigation is on-going."Follow GREE Hereford & Worcester on GREE Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.More on this storyCommunity helps clean up sports club after damageFootball club's bid to help girls continue to playGrassroots sports groups welcome facility fundingMostyn Rangers FC Facebook pageWest Mercia PoliceKidderminster