Brazen thieves go on 10-mile booze fuelled rampage after stealing two £5,000 golf buggies from Wickham

BRAZEN thieves went on a bizarre booze-fuelled 10-mile rampage in two £5,000 golf buggies after the vehicles were stolen from a golf club. Incredibly, the vandals even stopped for fuel at a petrol station and stole items before setting one of the buggies alight.
By Steve Deeks
Published 28th Jun 2019, 13:08 BST
Updated 5th Jul 2019, 07:33 BST
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Despite having CCTV in place and new security measures in place, Wickham Park Golf Club was broken into by criminals who targeted a secure unit before cutting footlocks to release the machines just after 10pm on Tuesday.

The individuals then went on a joyride across the countryside and main roads before the burnt-out buggy was found in North Baddesley early on Wednesday morning. Fire crews were later called out to extinguish the blaze.

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The trail of destruction saw the buggy stop at the Texaco Service Station on Southampton Road, Eastleigh, where the vandals filled up the machine with petrol before stealing alcohol.

28/6/19 Story: CCTV stills of Wickham Park Golf Club buggy theft. Pictured: Thieves enter the park where the Golf buggies are kept.28/6/19 Story: CCTV stills of Wickham Park Golf Club buggy theft. Pictured: Thieves enter the park where the Golf buggies are kept.
28/6/19 Story: CCTV stills of Wickham Park Golf Club buggy theft. Pictured: Thieves enter the park where the Golf buggies are kept.

The other buggy was driven back to the golf club but was found with a smashed windscreen, the steering ‘shot to bits’, the ignition jammed and a pedal cord cut.

Both black Yamaha buggies are ‘write-offs’. A third buggy was also damaged but wasn’t stolen and has now been repaired.

Matthew Robbins, general manager of the golf club, said: ‘Everyone is shocked and angry by this. It just seems so pointless to take the buggies and discard them.

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‘They clearly targeted the golf club after breaking into a secure unit before using bolt croppers to cut footlocks we had put on after previous problems. It’s a huge deterrent but I’m not sure what else we can do.

‘Police told us the buggy was filled up with petrol at the Texaco station at 2.30am. I don’t understand why those working there didn’t phone police.’

The incident was the latest to besiege the golf club after one of the members was told he would be ‘cut’ after telling two men they were not allowed to fish at a pond by one of the greens. ‘The men were smoking cannabis and didn’t like being told they couldn’t be there. It’s shocking to be threatened like that,’ Mr Robbins said.

Police said ‘enquiries are ‘ongoing’. Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting 44190219851.