Doncaster rugby club's ultimatum pays off as 'stupid' thieves return stolen £5,000 mower

By Darren Burke
Published 9th Jun 2023, 13:10 BST
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A Doncaster rugby club which laid down an ultimatum to thieves who stole a £5,000 lawnmower has paid off after the machinery was sheepishly returned.

Angry bosses at Moorends-Thorne Marauders Rugby League Club threatened to shop the culprits to police after the lawnmower was stolen from the club’s ground – but offered an olive branch, saying that if it was returned they wouldn’t involve the law.

And after the threat, the machine was yesterday returned.

Club spokesman Jim Welbourn said: “Moorends-Thorne Marauders would like to thank the whole community for their massive effort and contribution towards the Marauders retrieving their stolen lawn mower, good can prevail over bad once good family morals comes to the fore.

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The £5,000 lawnmower has been returned by thieves.The £5,000 lawnmower has been returned by thieves.
The £5,000 lawnmower has been returned by thieves.

"However, when the thieves stole the mower, they caused quite a bit of damage to the burglar alarm system and lawn mower.

"We are now in the process of collecting estimates to repair the alarm and ignition system for the lawn mower.

"The saying goes there is no honour amongst thieves, we will for the time being honour our pledge of not going to the police if the mower was returned, we also must consider the cost of putting the thieves’ wrongs, right, we could easily be looking at a £1,000 or more.

"We know the club’s posts have been monitored by the thieves and I’m sure this message will get to them, if they want to have a chat about the damage, they can contact us by the channel they used to let us know the mower was being brought back, or direct.”

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Players and staff were left fuming when the £5,250 sit on mower was stolen – but amateur detectives at the club pieced together details of the raid with CCTV evidence of the culprits

Club bosses described the thieves as “the gang of stupid” and added: “We have you by the curlys - to stop us going to the police all you have to do is bring it back.”

The mower was discovered missing at around 9.30am on Wednesday, having been stolen at around 11pm the night before.

A club spokesman said: "The gate to our ground had its hinges – two big bolts - on the left-hand gate undone and the gates pulled open and the lock on our container had been chopped off.