Teenage football team loses kit to thieves

Thieves have stripped a teenage amateur football team of its new kit.

Wolverhampton City FC players were taking part in a league game in South Staffordshire when the kit was taken from manager Garry Bennett's van.

Today he said he was sickened by the theft.

A £100 reward is being offered by the club for the return of the kit, which was bought for £600 by Mr Bennett.

Mr Bennett, a 58-year-old motor vehicle engineer from Aldersley, said: "I'm absolutely appalled and sickened by the theft of my lads' football strips."

"The strip is of no use to anyone else so we'd like it back. I paid for the strip but the lads were putting the money in each week to pay me back."

The kit was taken from Mr Bennett's van, which was parked at the Four Ashes Inn car park in Station Road, Four Ashes.

Police are investigating the theft, which happened between 1.15pm and 4.15pm on Sunday.

The team was playing in an older kit at the time.

Mr Bennett said: "It was in a big kit bag, so they must have thought there was something expensive in it. But it's not worth anything to anyone else."

Mr Bennett, who has been in charge of the team for five years, said:

"The little extra money that comes in from the team was going to be used for equipment or to fund the creation of another team to take younger kids on, but that won't happen now.

Pc Frank Hossack said he wanted to hear from any potential witnesses. "There were a lot of people sitting in the beer garden at the time," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0300 123 4455 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.