CALLOUS thieves used a sledgehammer to smash through a window and wreak havoc inside a football club house.

Wivenhoe Town Football Club, in Elmstead Road, was targeted in the early hours of last Sunday.

Club chairman Mo Osman said staff arrived that morning to find a shed and the club house had been raided.

He said: “They smashed the bar door and tried to access the money in the pool table.

“They went into one of the sheds outside and taken a sledgehammer and smashed the bars.

"Stuff they’ve taken inside includes a few cans of drink and some sweets.”

The raiders snatched a lawn mower worth £750 and two grass trimmers worth a total of £350.

But it is the damage to the club house which will really set the team back.

Mr Osman said: “All together it is £1,500 worth of damage and then the cost of having to now upgrade the system.

“It is a kick in the teeth. This isn’t the first break-in we have had.”

The club will look to upgrade its alarm system and add 24 hour CCTV coverage.

Call Essex Police on 101 with information.