Police suspect link in club raids
TWO Wear Valley pubs have become victims of a gang of heartless thieves.Leeholme Club, near Bishop Auckland, and The Sportsman at Canny Hill have both been targeted and police now believe the incidents may be connected.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the thieves used a sledgehammer to smash their way into Leeholme club, before attacking the gambling machine with a crowbar and taking £1,600 from tills. The Sportsman fared little better, with staff tips and money from a charity competition being snatched along with two tills.
This theft happened in the early hours of Friday morning and has left landlady of The Sportsman, Margaret Hall in shock.
She said: "I was upstairs on my own when they broke in and I just feel devastated.
"It makes me wonder why I bother because they took £500 and every penny counts in this business.
"I've been here for a year and I'm struggling to keep the pub going so who knows?" Police now believe the attack was carried out by a gang of up to four.
If you can provide any information in connection with these incidents, please call Crimestoppers on 0800555111 or the police on 08456060365
