Cash haul is draw for thief (From Stroud News and Journal)

Cash haul is draw for thief

A VILLAGE football team is counting the cost after losing their match - and their belongings.

Arlingham returned from a 4-1 home drubbing by Hawkesbury Upton to the village hall that doubles as their changing rooms on Saturday to find burglars had stolen six mobile phones and more than £420 in cash.

Frustrated team regular Vaughan Maule, who runs his own plumbing and heating business, told the SNJ: "We had gone up to play so whoever it was know they had 90 minutes."

The burglars broke in through a kitchen window before rifling through clothes belonging to players on both sides netting wads of cash, including a week's wages, and the mobile phones.

"A lot of us are self-employed and the phones have all our business numbers on them," said Mr Maule, 47. "It's made our lives a bit more difficult. We'll get over it but it's damned annoying. This takes the enjoyment out of it."

Security is to be upgraded at the village hall, which until Saturday had been used without incident by the club for the past 12 years.

But in the long run neither the burglary or the loss are likely to keep this team down for long, despite currently languishing 10th in Division Five of the Stroud and District Football League with one win, no draws and four losses.

"We win some, we lose some," said Mr Maule, philosophically. "We do OK and we enjoy ourselves. "Life's too short to worry about winning and losing."

Anyone with information about the incident should call police on 0845 0901234 or Crimestoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555111.