By Saul Cooke-Black

TEN thousand pounds worth of music equipment was stolen from a band’s rehearsal room after thieves broke in through a barred window.

Live Rounds, based in Stroud, will now have to cancel future gigs unless the valuable instruments are found.

The heavy metal band turned up to their practice area on Sunday morning for a rehearsal when they found the bars from a window ripped out, a wall torn through and two scaffold poles which had been used in the break in lying on the ground.

Guitarist Nathan Hooper, 29, said: “It left us totally deflated.

“I can’t put into words the feeling when we found out.

“Now we just feel angry that somebody could come in and take our prized possessions.”

Mr Hooper, from Stroud, estimates that about ten thousand pounds worth of equipment was stolen.

A hand made Caparison guitar from Japan bought for £3,500 and a rare amplifier from the USA were among the items.

Two other guitars from Japan, worth around £2,500, were also taken.

The band, which has five members, are now left in limbo as they were due to play at a gig in Swindon tomorrow night.

Some of the equipment has already been recovered from a Cash Converters store, but a lot is still missing.

“As it stands at the moment we will have to cancel the gig in Swindon,” said Mr Hooper.

“We are also going to have to repair the damage to our studio.

“It’s going to cost at least £500, possibly up to £1,000.

“We all have other jobs but music is what we enjoy doing and it brings in a bit of extra cash."

Anyone with information about the theft, which is thought to have taken place on Friday, can call police on 101 and quote incident 198 of July 26.