VILLAGE cricket club chairman Fred Kerley was devastated when he was told raiders had struck for second time within a matter of months.

Mr Kerley believes a professional gang was behind the burglary at Potterne Cricket Club, near Devizes in which £4,000 worth of equipment was stolen.

Items taken included a ride on mower worth about £2,500.

He said: “It is so upsetting. As a club we do an awful lot for the community and to raise money for charity.

“I think those responsible must be people who know the club. We are in a very out-of-the-way spot here and they came prepared with heavy cutting gear including oxy acetylene cutters for the metal locks.

“Everyone at the club has been left angry and devastated. The people who did this are just scumbags.”

He said the club was covered by insurance but the premium had been greatly increased after a break-in last October and he feared it would go up a large amount again.

He said: “We made a lot of changes after the theft in October. Extra CCTV was put in but this was covered up during this raid. Everything was locked away in our storage unit.”

But his faith in human kindness has been restored by the number of people offering to lend mowers and raise cash.

The raid took place during the early hours of May 6. Police are appealing for witnesses and any CCTV or dashcam footage. It is believed the thieves arrived along a byway from either Green Lane, Devizes or Stert.

A police spokesman said: A ride-on Lawnmower and various other items, including a leaf blower, were stolen.

“This is a huge blow to the club. CCTV at the site was interfered with, prior to the incident.”

Mr Kerley said CCTV from the George and Dragon pub ishowed only a milk float turned towards the club so he believes the thieves had local knowledge and approached over a farm track.