A community sports club has been shaken by two break-ins that have left them over £8000 out of pocket after thieves targeted equipment and a petrol mower that they later abandoned on the rail tracks.
Bedale Sports Club and Community Centre was the victim of the double burglary in May - as thieves ransacked parts of the building and the store that vital equipment was kept in.
During the incident, several small items that take care of essential grounds maintenance were taken, which led club officials to make the store housing the equipment as secure as possible.
But the weekend after, the community facility was again the target of another burglary.
On this occasion, the compact tractor with grass mower and the triple mower, which was later recovered badly damaged, on the Wensleydale railway line, were taken.
While becoming the victim of the burglary was bad enough - the likelihood of recouping any costs through the insurance remains unlikely, due to the small print contained in their policy.
Chairman of the sports club, Martyn Coombs, said: "To date, the association has spent £1,400 to replace the small petrol mower, leaf blower, grass strimmer and hedge cutter and £3,750 for the repairs to the triple mower.
"We have also replaced the storeroom door with a bespoke pair of steel doors costing £3,200 and we still need to replace the compact tractor with grass mower.
"Currently, we are £8,350 out of pocket which means we have very little money to continue as a proper functional club.
"We have a programme of events lined up to raise some money and clubs have been put on alert to dig deep into their reserves to help bail us out."
Following the break-ins, the club has turned to fundraising in the community and a GoFundMe page in an attempt to recoup the £8500 worth of equipment they have had to buy to replace the stolen goods.
Mr Coombs added: "It is soul-destroying to see everything we have worked so hard for to be cruelly snatched away by thieves who think it is fine to steal from others.
"This is a financially desperate time for our association, so any donations we receive will give us a lifeline to be able to continue providing superb facilities for everyone in the community."
According to club officials, thieves abandoned the triple mower, badly damaged on the Wensleydale Railway line, which was discovered by the passenger train en route to Leyburn, with the train driver and guard managing to push it off the tracks.
General manager of Bedale Sports Club, Colin Tipton, said: "As a voluntary run association of clubs, we rely of members’ subs and levies and outside functions to raise the money needed to operate at a break-even level.
"We have an unbelievably thriving junior cricket section with dozens of juniors and thriving girls and ladies teams and the football club now exists as a development team allowing youngsters the opportunity to play open-age football.
"The machinery we have available to our volunteer groundsman is essential to give these youngsters and the adult members of association football, cricket and croquet the best playing facilities in the region."
People can help support the sports club via BACS to BASA, account number 23886298, sort code 20-25-29 and reference YOUR NAME or by cheque made payable to BASA and forwarded to Sheila Tipton, 1 Ashlands Drive. Leeming Bar, Northallerton, DL7 9DF.
Supporters can donate via a GoFundMe here.
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