A TOWN football club has had hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol and cash stolen.

Thieves broke into the Romsey Football Club clubhouse overnight between February 13 and 14 and made off with cash, stock from the bar, kit and a substantial amount of food from the freezers.

The food was purchased to use for after match meals for the players and officials and to sell during home games, the latter being a source of income to keep the historic club running.

The club spokesperson says the clubhouse and kitchen were both left in a mess following the forced entry, with damage to the bar area and one of the tills was forced open damaging it beyond repair.

It took a team of volunteers all day on Saturday to clean up the mess and to take stock of missing and damaged items in and around the kitchen and bar areas.

A Romsey Town Football club official said: “It's unbelievable really to think that thieves would break in to the club house and kitchen and take these items, it's difficult enough for the club to survive without taking a knock back like this, we will however try to get some funds together somehow to purchase replacement stock and move the club forward and with the help of the volunteers and the local support for the club we will put this episode behind us.

"Romsey Town have a home game on Friday night vs Totton & Ealing and would welcome as many supporters as possible to attend to show their support for the players and the team of volunteers who put in such hard work to keep the club running, the club are actively looking for sponsors to help support the club which has been in existence since 1886."

Jenny Bell, a volunteer at the football club, said: "It is heart-breaking, all of our volunteers have been giving up their time to volunteer and help the club and it has undone our hard work.

"It was just horrible, our chairman is really upset."

A police spokesperson said: "We have received a report of money and food being stolen from the clubhouse of Romsey Town Football Club between 11.15pm on Thursday, February 13, and 3pm the following day.

"Anyone with information can call 101, quoting 44200057774."