Metal theft leave people in darkness
Peterborough Lions Rugby Club has been left powerless after the latest in a string of clubhouse break-ins saw thousands of pounds worth of electricity cable stolen.
Today Malcolm Larrington, clubhouse manager, said the latest theft was a “kick in the teeth” to staff and players who had battled to fix the clubhouse.
He said: “We have had five or six metal thefts over the past couple of months, which has cost us thousands of pounds of damage.
“We have been lucky that we have had some replacements donated to us by Batt Cables, but this keeps driving our insurance up. The gates were also stolen, costing us £1,500.
“This is just another kick in the teeth for us.
“Now we have no electricity, which means we have no lighting, no heating and no cooking facilities.
“We have been taking part in midnight vigils in the clubhouse to protect the rest of the cables. It is very cold, but we have hooked up a generator for a couple of small lights and a small camp stove to make ourselves cups of tea to keep warm. I have been on some of them and it is freezing.”
The club now faces a race against time to secure some generators ahead of their top of the table clash with Lutterworth on Saturday, as well as looking to secure planning permission for a permanent clubhouse.
Mr Larrington said: “We want to make sure the game goes ahead, as we don’t want to be beaten by the thieves.
“We are waiting to see if we can get permission for a new brick club house, rather than the one we have at the moment.
“If we can get permission, it would make a huge difference. We could have proper security, with a fence and CCTV.
“As it is we will be looking at concreting the cables into the ground, which just will add more cost to the club.”
