THIEVES have caused misery for young Wyre Forest athletes after making off with more than £800 worth of vital sporting equipment.

Kidderminster and Stourport Athletic Club has been left to pick up the pieces following the raid, which saw 17 aluminium hurdles stolen.

Ron Oliver, facilities manager at Stourport Sports Club, in Kingsway, believed the expensive track obstacles will eventually end up being sold for scrap because of the inflated prices being paid on the international markets for the sought-after metal.

The 60-year-old, who has been involved with athletics in the town since the early 1990s, added: "We had a competition at the weekend and there was a great deal of chat among members about what happened. Most people were angry but it is hard to know what to do.

Mr Oliver said the club has been sufferering increasing attacks by vandals but this is the first theft.

"Things have been getting worse for the last five or six months. This is the worst thing that has happened, though.

"It has already had a big impact because we have had to lock the hurdles we have left away. That means the kids cannot use them for training. That is a shame because we have got a lot of talented youngsters here."

Raiders struck close to the track where the hurdles, which cost around £50 each, were locked together by wire, between 10.30pm on Monday, July 17 , and 9am the following day.

Management at the popular club, which formed in 2000 after the two towns' athletics groups merged, are discussing options on how to replace them.

More than 200 members, including 140 youngsters from the district, use the facility, considered to be one of the best in the Midlands, every week.

Mr Oliver said: "We are having a meeting next month to talk about how we are going to find the money to buy some more. We will probably have to claim on the insurance. That is what it is there for but it will probably mean premiums rising.

"They actually dismantled the hurdles with an Allen key. That would have taken some time so I think there would have been two or three people involved with a big van or something like that. They are not small things."

He added staff at the club had thwarted a similar metal theft earlier this year when they disturbed a group trying to rip out the running track edging.

Nathan Desmond, Wyre Forest District Council's cabinet member for community and leisure services, described the crime as "disgraceful" and promised to work closely with police to hunt down the culprits.

He explained: "I was saddened and very disappointed when I heard the news. We will do all we can to try and catch whoever did this.

"I find it totally unbelievable. The people who committed this crime are hurting their very own neighbours in the community.

"A lot of children attend the club and it does a great job for them," he added.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the thefts have been asked to contact Stourport police on 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

Despite the setback, Mr Oliver urged anyone, regardless of age or ability, interested in joining the club to get in touch. For more information, visit its website at www.ksac.co.uk