A FOOTBALL club is offering a £1,000 reward to help catch the vandals who ransacked their clubhouse.

Thieves targeted Concord Rangers FC, on Canvey, where they smashed up the fruit machines and pool tables to get cash.

Not satisfied by their loot, they returned less than two hours to take the safe, containing £4,000.

Chairman Anthony Smith was left devastated by the break-in and the destruction it had caused.

He said: “The first reaction is you’re just fuming because of all the hard work that volunteers do for the club to make it what it is. When people come and do this to you, you do feel very annoyed and let down.”

The club estimates about £3,000 of damage had been caused to windows and doors during the break-in.

CCTV footage shows the crooks break in at about 10pm and then returning at about midnight for the safe.

But it does not clearly show the culprits, other than they are in their twenties and one of them was wearing a grey hoodie.

There was security working at nearby Calor Gas, but they did not spot anything suspicious.

Mr Smith added: “We are a non-profit organisation. Every- thing we make goes back into making the club better.”

The club will now have to submit an insurance claim, but will also be putting up a £1,000 reward to anyone who can help police track down the culprits.

Mr Smith said: “People talk on Canvey, it’s a very small place and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few kids get to hear of what’s happened.

“We’ve actually had a couple of names chucked at us and we’ve given them to the police and they will deal with that.”

Anyone with information should call Canvey police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.