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THE future of a junior football club is in doubt after thieves stole all its equipment.

ed hardy clothing Sandford Hill All Stars, based at Joiners Square, was targeted on Thursday and stripped bare of items including footballs and floodlights. The club has seven teams for boys aged under 15 and has players from across the city.

Now club officials are having to find a way for training and games to continue without the items they have lost.

Alaine Challis, pictured, who set up the club around four years ago, says the club is out of pocket by around Pounds 2,000.

She said: "They have taken absolutely everything. Seven bags of footballs were hanging up and they have gone, even the pumps to blow the balls up and a fire extinguisher.

"We used to run a tuck shop when we had training and games, where we would sell hot chocolate, soups and sweets. The money would go towards developing the club but all those things have been stolen too."

The 55-year-old, of St Mary's Road, Sandford Hill, added: "It has taken us four years to get to this stage and now we have been knocked right back to the start. The boys haven't even got a ball to train with on Tuesday.

"It makes me wonder if it is worth carrying on but I am going to do my best for the boys. I don't want them to suffer.

"I'm hoping if anyone is offered any of the things that have been stolen they will get in touch with the police."

Other items that were taken include a generator and four sets of floodlights.

The kit was only recently bought by the club, setting them back more than Pounds 800.

Ms Challis said: "I try and keep subscriptions as low as possible to help the parents of children who play, so I bought the equipment to use on dark nights so we can put off going elsewhere for as long as possible."

The club has around 95 members and is in the process of putting together a team for girls.

All of the items taken were in a steel metal container at the club's base in Trentmill Road.

Simon De-winton, a manger of one of the teams, whose two children are also involved in the club, said the members will be devastated about what has happened.

He told The Sentinel: "We try to get the children off the street and give them something to do and this is how we are repaid.

"It is shocking but most of all it is upsetting for the kids. There's certainly going to be a few tears when they find out."

He added: "We are really going to struggle for Yves Saint Laurent Bags the timebeing."

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact PC Steven Studdard on 0300 123 4455.