A TRICKSTER posing as a member of Bradford on Avon Rugby Club drove off with player's keys, phones and valuables worth £5,000 on Saturday.

The man welcomed visiting teams from Blandford, Dorset, and suggested they left their valuables in a bag behind the bar for safety. But after the game he asked bar staff for two bags of valuables and left the club.

Bradford PC Pete Clarke said: "Whoever did this was very cool, calm and collected. We have many witnesses and he was seen on the grounds mingling and chatting.

"He was smartly dressed and very confident and a really good con man.

"We believe the same man could have struck at a club in Colerne where players had their wallets stolen from the changing rooms on the same day."

It happened on the first home game of the season, at the new clubhouse near Winsley after a £420,000 redevelopment of pitches and facilities.

Steven Jenner, club chairman, said: "It was a brilliant day with a huge crowd and this man messed it up completely for us."

The man is described as white with collar length greying wavy hair, aged 40-50, 5ft 9ins tall, and wearing a green polo shirt and cream trousers.

He left the club in a large dark red saloon car.