A BEER garden at an amateur rugby club in Oldham has been destroyed by thieves.

At around 5am last Wednesday, July 21, the beer garden at Waterhead Warriors ARLFC on Peach Road in Waterhead, Oldham was targeted by vandals who stole a section of artificial grass.

The thieves ripped up the segment of lawn before stashing it in a baby’s buggy and making off with it, according to officials at the club who captured the incident on CCTV.

The buggy, allegedly used for the crime, was later found abandoned next to a block of flats on Herbert Street in Littlemoor, Oldham.

The club’s vice chairman, Jon Perks said: “For someone to do this is just scandalous really”.

The rugby club had spent around £10,000 to create the beer garden in a bid to allow members to socially distance when coronavirus restrictions hit.

Members “chipped in for free” to help club officials build the beer garden for the community, which was “was looking fantastic”, Jon said.

“For someone to come along and vandalise it like this is just sad more than anything,” he added.

Last Friday, July 23 the club posted a public appeal on Facebook in the hope to track down the thieves.

The post, which includes screenshots from CCTV footage of the theft, reads: “Anyone know who this is? They decided to cut up our newly laid grass in beer garden at approximately 5am on Wednesday morning. Any information will be held in strictest of confidence.”

The following day on Saturday July 24, the club took to Facebook with an update.

It reads: “Further to yesterday’s post, we’ve found the ‘getaway vehicle’ the couple used to take the grass away, next to the flats in Littlemoor where the dentist is.

“Please anybody in Littlemoor who has CCTV can you check it, Wednesday morning around 5am. We believe the couple live in these flats or around the area.”

Anyone with information on the incident is being urged to get in contact with the club via its Facebook page.