Police appeal for witnesses to leisure centre break-in

Police are appealing for witnesses to a break-in at Draycott Sports Centre that happened on Thursday (14 January).

After an alarm was triggered at about 1.30am at the centre on Creswell Lane, Draycott, Stoke-on-Trent, overnight between Wednesday (13 January) and Thursday, staff checked their CCTV footage to see a man arrive in a van and attempt to break in.

The man arrived in a Mercedes van – described as white with a distinctive Mercedes badge on the rear side and reflective, striped markings on the lower skirt - and got out and put a face mask on. He cut the lock off a door but the alarm has triggered as he enters and he flees in the van.

It follows similar incidents occurring at leisure centres across the county last year including a burglary that saw 16 spin bikes stolen from Brough Park Leisure Centre, in Leek on 17 November.

There were also leisure centres targeted in Penkridge, Codsall, Wombourne and Cannock.

Anyone with any information or who may have seen or heard anything suspicious around the time of the incident should message Staffordshire Police on Facebook or Twitter quoting incident number 171 of 14 January, call 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.