Club sets worth £13,000 stolen from Sandiway Golf Club shop

TWO Northwich golf clubs have become the latest targets in a string of raids at club shops across Cheshire.

Sandiway, and Vale Royal Abbey golf clubs were hit over the night of Tuesday, November 28 and Wednesday, 29.

In the first raid at Sandiway burglars used a crowbar to force open a door in the club shop just after 11pm.

They smashed through an interior wall before escaping with 15 sets of golf clubs including woods, irons and putters worth around £13,000.

Officials at the professional's shop believe they were targeted by a gang of expert thieves who staked out the premises earlier that day.

A spokesman from the shop said: "Three men came into the shop during the day saying they were from Cambridge, but with Liverpool accents.

"They enquired about the course, but when one of the staff, originally from Cambridge, quizzed them they quickly made their excuses and left."

Just a few hours after the Sandiway raid, there was an attempted burglary at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club.

In this incident the thieves forced open the door to the club shop, but fled empty handed when the alarm went off.

The past few months have seen similar smash and grabs at golf clubs in Chester, Frodsham, Bromborough and Eastham on the Wirral.

Merseyside and Cheshire Police are exchanging details "as a matter of routine", but were unable to confirm that one gang was responsible.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "At this stage we cannot say whether or not the raids are linked."