Thieves snatch goalpost from Heath Hayes pitch

Metal thieves stole a goalpost from a football pitch in Staffordshire hours before a pre-season friendly. The theft of the post was discovered on Saturday.

The game between Heath Hayes FC and Hednesford Town was in doubt until a groundsman ran and got a spare.

The game was able to go ahead with the replacement.

Reg Maiden, on Heath Hayes' committee, said the theft happened at the Heath Hayes Coppice Colliery Ground ground.

"They went to put them up before the match and they had gone," he said.

The groundsman, who did not want to named, said: "I found another pole but it was too long and not compatible, so I sawed off the end and nobody would be none the wiser now."

The gamed ended 5-1 to Hednesford Town.

In May, two men, aged 68 and 26, and two women, 24 and 50, were arrested on suspicion of theft after police were called to reports of people setting fire to heavy duty cable in Lichfield Road, New Invention. Royal British Legion fundraisers were left devastated when thieves broke into a cabin to steal metal from a chimney flue, causing £1,000 of damage.