BURGLARS have broken into a sports centre on Teesside for the third time this year.

The thieves stole a new immersion heater from the Grayfields Recreation Ground Pavilion, at Hartlepool.

This will be the fourth time the heater, which costs between £3,000 and £4,000, has been replaced in a year.

The burglars gained entry between 3.30pm on Wednesday and 7.30am yesterday by smashing a hole through a wall in the pavilion, in the Dyke House area. They then opened fire doors to carry out the boiler, along with groundsman's tools and keys to other council buildings.

Richard Harland, parks development officer at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "We are very upset, as you can imagine. We're having to spend money that would have been spent improving these facilities. There will come a point where the people who pay for this, that is, the taxpayers, will ask 'is it worth replacing this boiler yet again?'."

A £40,000 metal perimeter fence is being erected around the grounds. Other money has been spent on improving security at the pavilion.

More than 200 footballers use the recreation ground each weekend and it is used throughout the week.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, where they can talk anonymously. PC Gary Cowan, of Hartlepool Police, can also be contacted on (01642) 302126.