THIEVES are targeting cars of footballers parked outside sports grounds – including Southend United’s training ground.

At least ten vehicles have been hit while players compete at the Play Football facility, in Chase High School, Prittlewell Chase.

A gang of three men are believed to be responsible.

Paul Smith, 19, had his Citroen Saxo broken into on Tuesday in Prittlewell Chase.

The Tuesday before, his friend’s car was broken into in the same place.

Mr Smith said CCTV on the car park showed the suspects hanging around until the players went in. He added: “Last Tuesday night, there were about 10 or 12 cars broken into.

“One of my best mate’s cars had the window smashed and this Tuesday mine got broken into, as well as about three others.”

Paul said he has decided to stop playing football there, as he didn’t want to risk it happening again.

Paul Horwood, manager of Play Football, which hires out floodlit five and seven-a-side pitches, said Southend United’s training ground, Boots and Laces, had also been targeted by thieves breaking into cars.

He said: “We believe it is the same people. What they are doing is blending in as footballers. They are in our car park kicking a ball around.

“They are targeting sports grounds. We haveagood facility here, but we have lost a couple of teams from it. We never thought for a million years they would come back the next Tuesday and do it again.”

The suspects were described as driving a blue Saab saloon car.

The first man was white, six foot one in his early thirties with a skinhead. The second man was black, aged between 18 and 20 and about 5ft 11in tall. There is no description for the third man who drives the car.

Insp Bill Potter, at Southend police, said his officers were investigating the incidents.

He said: “We will co-ordinate all of the statements and CCTV with one particular officer, or a team of officers, to look at these incidents.

“Where we get patterns of offending like this, we will look to co-ordinate a response.”

Mr Potter also urged people to take valuables out of their parked cars.

He added: “Don’t leave things in your car and if you can, open your car’s glove box so people can see it is empty.”

Anyone with information about the thefts should contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.