£5k reward for infomation on golf club raiders
A £5,000 reward has been put up after a golf club in South Staffordshire was targeted by raiders yet again.
Thieves have broken into the grounds of Wood Farm Golf and Leisure in Essington regularly over the past 12 months.
The latest break-in took place on Monday and saw a digger, a Cat 306 excavator, stripped down for parts, with the damage estimated at £5,000.
Large amounts of diesel was also taken from machines on site and has led to course co-owners Brian Saunders and Jack Moody offering the reward for any information that leads to a conviction.
Mr Saunders said: "There have been break-ins nearly every other week for the last 12 months. We have been in regular contact with the police about this and we have cameras installed on site that inform us of any intrusion via our phones.
"I would say they must have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage on site. We just can't seem to catch the vandals.
"They have just caused us so much trouble it is beyond a joke now."
The offer of a reward was also backed by the leader of Essington Parish Council, David Clifft. He said: "It's very disheartening to see that while people are trying to give these great new facilities to Essington their efforts are being hindered by others." The course is due to open later this year after numerous delays since work began in 2008.
It comes as details emerged of a crime at another of Mr Moody's businesses, Hollybush Garden Centre in Warstone Road, Shareshill.
Vandals caused between £4,000 and £5,000 worth of damage when garden furniture and clothes were slashed with a knife.
Mr Moody said: "We don't think it was linked to the golf club."
See also: Thieves cause thousands of pounds of damage at Halesowen Town.
