THIEVES smashed open a church donation box during a spate of burglaries on Portland.

Raiders left a trail of destruction as St George’s Church, Portland Red Triangle Cricket Club and Quiddles Café were broken into during the night.

Peter Pitman, chairman of the Friends of St George’s, said they smashed a window and ‘ransacked’ the church.

He said: “They broke the window in the back and took out a steel grate.

“I presume they were looking for money as they ransacked the place.

“Everything has been pulled out and scattered around.

“They used an iron flower pedestal like an iron bar to smash open the offertery box and they’ve stolen the donations.”

Mr Pitman said at least a month’s visitor donations would have been in the box.

Grant Neven, secretary of the cricket club, said a hammer was left wedged into the front door of the cricket club pavilion before the thieves fot in through a side door, ripped off the kitchen cupboards and stole confectionery.

He said a group with learning difficulties had to be sent away after they arrived for their weekly match just before the burglary was discovered by Mick Mulley, who rents a hut next door Mr Neven said: “It’s just mindless, absolutely mindless. Portland is a community that got lost along the way but we are trying to build it up.

“The mindless morons that smashed into the cricket club should realise the knock on effects to other people.”

Chairman Glyn Bartholomew said: “This is just a kick in the teeth.

“There is not a great deal in there and we keep it that way for obvious reasons as it was broken into years ago.

“People say they are shaken up when they have their house broken into and I was a bit shaken up. It takes the smile off your face and the kids are suffering because of it.”

At Quiddles Café in Chiswell co-owner Matthew Baldwin said a window was smashed on the same night.

He said: “It’s really galling.

“We’ve tried to make a nice place for people to come to but scumbags are allowed to live all over the island.”

PC Steve Morris of Portland’s safer neighbourhood team confirmed all three properties were broken into on Monday night.

He said: “They appear to be linked but we can’t say that for sure.”

Anyone with any information should call the police on 01305 222222.