THIEVES scoffed 16 hotdog sausages after breaking into Malmesbury Victoria FC's storage shed.

The five opened tins of sausages were found on the pitch, along with bicycle tracks.

A can of white spray-paint, which was also taken from the shed, was sprayed on the pitch, wall and door of the football club.

The offenders, who are thought to have struck sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, also turned an outside tap on full and left it to run onto the pitch overnight.

Julie Exton, secretary of Malmesbury Vics, said: "I don't know how they managed to open the hotdog cans but they managed to eat 16 of the sausages so I bet they felt sick-as-a-dog afterwards.

"It's just silly and it's hardly the crime of the century but it's annoying as it's taken two people about three hours to sand and re-drag the pitch - and we're all volunteers.

"We think it was probably kids so my message to parents is if they found paint on their child's shoes, or clothes, please ask them if they were responsible for this.

"I would say to the parents, that with their agreement, I'd like the culprits to clean up the mess so it's nipped in-the-bud so they don't do it again. I'm not interested in pursuing a criminal conviction."

Mrs Exton continued: "They left the water running, which is on a meter so that'll be expensive for us but we don't know how much water we've lost yet."

She said the club will have to buy some more hotdogs before the Vic's home tie with Bibury on Saturday, as the stolen sausages had been intended for the players' post-match meal.

Sgt Martin Alvis, of Malmesbury Police, said: "Why would a local person do this? From experience you are not going to travel to Malmesbury from Bristol or further afield to commit crime like this."

Sgt Alvis had a message for the culprits, saying: "Are you the offender? If so, Malmesbury is a small community, so do yourself a favour, come forward and I know the club and ourselves would be keen to address the situation in a sensible manner without the need for formal sanctions.

"Malmesbury is as good as you make it. There’s nothing funny, exciting or amusing about this behaviour but there is an opportunity to make good the wrong-doing."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101.