Thieves raid club
THIEVES ransacked an Earl Shilton pub, smashing open a number of fruit machines and stealing thousands of pounds in cash.
Stoneycroft Sports and Social Club, in New Street, was broken into just before 2am on Wednesday March 15.
The crooks raided the pub’s three slot machines, scattering broken glass and debris across the floor.
Bar manager Kerry Ewllett said more than £1,600 was stolen and the damage was “massive”.
She said: “My mobile phone started buzzing at around 2am on Wednesday to tell me the pub alarm was going off.
“We drove straight over within 10 minutes and found the front window had been smashed.
“We didn’t know if they were still inside so we called 999 and waited for the police to arrive.
“But within the 10 minutes it took us to get there, they had been in and out and the damage caused was massive.
“They raided our fruit machines, smashing them to pieces and stealing the contents.
“Not an inch of carpet was without glass covering it.”
She urged businesses and residents in the area to review their CCTV footage in attempt to identify the culprits.
“Please be vigilant. The thieves knew what they were doing, the rest of the pub remained untouched, including the till,” she added.
“Two men in a light grey van were spotted in the area just before this happened.
“Can anybody with a dash cam or CCTV around the New Street and Mona Street area please take a look for me. It happened around 1.53am in the morning.”
She said some people had attempted to break in to the pub a couple of weeks ago by forcing the back door open with a crowbar.
She added that other pubs in the area had also been targeted by thieves recently.
Leicestershire Police said: “We’re investigating a burglary at a premises in New Street, Earl Shilton, sometime between 11pm on Tuesday March 14 and 2am on Wednesday March 15 when it was discovered.
“A number of fruit machines were damaged and cash was stolen.
“Enquiries are continuing into the incident and we ask anyone with information to get in touch by calling the police on 101, quoting crime reference number 17*109016.”