THE chairman of a junior football team has warned they could be unable to start the new season after a number of their football kits were stolen.

Les Hughes, chairman of Middleton Rangers Football Club, said they are likely to face a “big hole” in their finances after they lost a full set of their kits in a burglary in July.

Mr Hughes says it will cost the Middleton St George-based-club £500 to replace the kits, which are orange and mixed sizes.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, he also appealed to those who were behind the burglary to return the stolen kits as soon as possible.

“It could be a problem at the start of the season – it takes up to two months to get new ones made," said Mr Hughes.

“We could probably patch things up until then, but with the cost of printing the new kits, it will cost us around £500 to get a new set.

“It is a big financial hole to us - if the people who took them had anything about them, they would give them back,” he added.

Middleton Rangers Junior Football Club was founded in 2003 by parents in the village and offers football for pre school children right up to adult age groups in Darlington and the surrounding areas.

Last year, they became the largest club in Darlington, offering junior boys team’s under-7s right through to under-16s, as well as adults team, mini rangers program, disability club and girls development groups.

Durham Police said the burglary is believed to have happened overnight on Saturday, July 29 at a property in Hensfield Grove.

The suspects took the bike – a £350 Carrera Vulcan which was fitted with a wheel lock – as well as the full set of football strips belonging to the club from an insecure garage.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “Anyone with any information should contact PC Michael Davies on 101, quoting crime reference number CRI00069633."