A SAILING club has warned of the “devastating impact” the theft of five of their outboard engines will have after they were stolen last week.

The Andrew Simpson Centre, a not-for-profit located on Burghfield Lake in Theale, reported the equipment stolen to police on Friday, July 2.

However, bosses at the Centre warned that recovering the engines -- which cost £2,000 each -- would be “extremely difficult.”

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A statement on the Centre’s website said: “The theft of these engines has been reported to the Police and we are working with the incredibly supportive local community in order to keep our Water Sports activity going in the meantime.

“Unfortunately, recovering stolen motors is often extremely difficult and success rates are low.

“As a notably rising problem within the marine sector, this has a devastating impact on the charitable sailing programmes that we can deliver within the local Reading community, directly reducing the amount of young people we are able to get out on the water."

Bosses at the site are appealing for information about the whereabouts of the stolen engines, urging anyone who knows anything to contact police on 101.

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In the meantime, the Centre is asking people who may have 15 or 10 horsepower engines to donate them to the organisation or instead to donate to a fundraiser for five new outboard engines.

So far, £1,000 has been raised from a £10,000 target.

The Centre’s statement continued: “Together we can get the Andrew Simpson Centre in Reading back on track and continue the work in transforming young lives through sailing.”

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “This was reported to Thames Valley Police at 5.50pm on Friday (2/7).

“It was reported that five outboard engines were stolen from an address on Hangar Road in Sulhamstead.

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“No arrests have been made in connection with this incident. Anyone with information would be asked to make a report online, or call 101, quoting reference 1794 of 2/7.”