Thieves attack Baggeridge Country Park tea rooms - and leave a mountain bike at crime scene

The tea room at Baggeridge Country Park, near Sedgley, was broken into on Wednesday night. The raid has cost the venue £1,000 through money stolen and damage caused.

Manager Dave Daly said the perpetrators left a mountain bike at the scene after stealing money, trashing the room and breaking down a fire door.

As well as the bike, Mr Daly found a till and a saw outside the tea room, following the raid.

The door was removed from its hinges, the room smashed, phone lines ripped out and tills forced open during the raid.

It forced Mr Daly to close the tea room and he has had to pay £180 to secure the door.

"They must have been spooked and left in a rush," he said.

"It's so disappointing. We're just getting ready for the busy period and now we've got a big setback like this.

"We've had to close on Thursday – there were no phone lines and the fire door was gone so we were unable to open.

"I got to the tea room in seven minutes on Wednesday night, but they'd already scarpered.

"I've already had to spend £180 boarding up the hole where the fire door had been."

Police were called to the scene, near Gospel End, just before 11pm on Wednesday.

South Staffordshire Police spokeswoman Jane Hoult said police are now investigating the break-in. He said: "Officers attended the location where it was established that till equipment had been stolen.

"An investigation is now underway and anyone with any information is asked to contact Staffordshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 866 of July 16."

Five years ago the beauty spot was turned into a trail of destruction when a gang of around 11 louts went on the rampage outside the tea rooms, overturning four benches, damaging cameras and tearing hanging baskets from their brackets.

The aerial ropes adventure at the park was also targeted by arsonists at around the same time.