FOUR charity boxes have been stolen from a rural market town's cricket club.

The two burglars targeted Barnard Castle Cricket Club during the night raid at 1.45am this morning.

The men broke through a door at the back of the club, in Vere Road, Barnard Castle, before raiding the bar.

It is the third time in 18 months that the club has been burgled, with managers installing CCTV and extra security measures following the last attack about five months ago.

As a result of the increased security, the burglars were hindered but they still stole two bottles of spirits and four charity boxes from the bar area.

Club chairman, David Sparrow, said the charity boxes belonged to The Clique, Cancer Research, the YMCA and the Rotary Club, and urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said: "It's happened three times now so we are obviosuly spending more and more money on installing CCTV and stepping up the security.

"Thankfully they ahve not got away with much but anything that can be done to catch them would be tremendous."

Barnard Castle Police are now investigating.

A spokeswoman said: "The suspects broke into the premise on Vere Road, Barnard Castle and took two bottles of spirits and four charity boxes before making off in a vehicle."

Anyone with any information should call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 57 of October 3.