BRAZEN thieves have targeted a Yeppoon sports club, stealing a tipper truck which they then crashed through the locked gates on their escape.

The blue Daihatsu Canter was stolen from the Keppel Coast Dirt Bike Club in Yeppoon Road sometime between Saturday morning and 6.30am today.

Club president Paul Warr said a battery was also taken from the club’s tractor.

The break-in was discovered this morning. It was reported to police and forensic officers have been on scene.

“Al Rice, one of our life members, went out this morning to turn on some sprinklers for us and found the gates were busted open and we’d had a break-in,” Mr Warr said.

“The thieves have rummaged through the toolboxes on the tractor and I’m guessing they used some of those tools to steal the battery out of it.

“They’ve obviously then crashed the truck through the gates. They were forced open in the opposite direction, and the chain and padlock were found further down the road.”

Mr Warr said the theft was a huge blow as the machinery was vital to the operation of the club, which is now facing a replacement bill that will run into the thousands.

“The value of the truck isn’t what it’s about - what we could use it for and what it did for our club made it priceless,” he said.

“It was no showpiece but it was a very practical piece of equipment that was vital in terms of building jumps, and maintaining and improving the track.

“To replace it with something that will do the same job we’re probably looking at about $10,000, and it will be at least a $400 exercise to get the tractor going again.

“This (theft) just grinds to a halt any off-season improvements that we had planned.”

Mr Warr said surveillance cameras had now been installed at the club because there were fears the thieves would return.

He asked anyone with information to contact Policelink on 131 444.

Police investigations are continuing.