THIEVES smashed their way into a cricket club, causing up to £2,000 worth of damage.

Tottington St Johns Cricket Club secretary Kieran Coe was alerted to the break-in after a phone call from a dog walker who had found keys strewn on the grass outside the club's pavilion.

The burglars targeted the club, in Hawthorn Crescent, Tottington, on the evening of Wednesday, October 24.

They broke through a changing room door before smashing through a first floor changing room floor into the lounge below.

Despite the thieves causing extensive damage, they only managed to escape with £27.53 from a till.

Mr Coe said: “The thieves must have been extremely frustrated by our number of keys and locks to match up.

"They must also have been hugely disappointed by their haul – we leave nothing in the till nor have a safe – so despite the extensive damage caused by the break-in, which we will repair via our insurance, they have wasted their time."

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that a forensic investigation was underway.