CCTV captures attempted break-in at Kingswood Rugby Club - as club officials issue appeal to catch culprit

A rugby club is urging nearby businesses and homeowners to be on their guard after an attempted break-in at its clubhouse - and has shared CCTV in a bid to help police catch the culprit.

Kingswood Rugby Club chairman Mark Beresford accepted that people were desperate during the current cost-of-living crisis, but said there was ‘no excuse’ for the targeting of other people’s property.

He and another committee member were alerted by an alarm system to the attempted break-in at the clubhouse in Grimsbury Road in Kingswood last night (December 19) at around 7.45pm. Arriving at the base, the pair discovered the person had left the scene, but that they had been caught on a CCTV camera.

As well as attempting to get into the clubhouse through the players’ entrance, the person had also tried the locks of the outside storage containers, managing to get inside one. Fortunately, there was nothing inside of value which they were able to take.

The person also targeted some of the five CCTV cameras on site, taking down the cage around one and covering it in mud. It is believed the person was scared off by a dog walker.

“We initially thought it was someone who knew what they wanted,” said Mr Beresford, who was appointed chairman of the club this year. “But it appears to be an opportunist individual who tried every single thing they could get to. They looked desperate.

“I suppose in this cost of living crisis we will see an escalation in this sort of crime - but there is no excuse for this happening.” He added: “I’d urge people around here to be safe and secure.”

After sharing an image from the CCTV footage of the person on Facebook and Twitter, several people responded with reports of similar incidents in the area. One person shared footage of a person trying the door of a parked car in Highview Road, and another shared footage of a van being broken into in Derrick Road. A third person said there had been a number of break-ins in the Baden Road area.

Avon and Somerset Police say most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves, with one in four of all burglaries committed without the use of force. Officers urge people to take simple precautions like locking doors and windows, and not leaving keys on display.

On the incident at Kingswood Rugby Club, a force spokesperson told Bristol World: “We received a call today (Tuesday 20 December) at around 9.30am of an attempted burglary at a rugby club in Grimsbury Road, Kingswood.

“We are aware there is CCTV of the incident and enquiries are ongoing.”

Have you been targeted by a burglar in the Kingswood area? Email us at [email protected]