BURGLARS sawed a hole in a ski club floor to bypass security guards and steal �4,000 worth of snowboards.

Raiders broke into Tallington Dry Ski Club � a wooden shop on stilts � at Tallington Water Sports Leisure Centre, near Stamford, triggering the alarm, and stealing 15 boards, at 1.30am yesterday.

Today, Inspector Dick Holmes, of Lincolnshire police, said: "It is a very unusual method of entry. In all my years in CID, I never saw that sort of thing."

But business owners John Cant and Howard Strenge refuse to be beaten.

Mr Cant said: "It was clearly a professional job.

"Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.

"We have very good security here, and we have taken steps to make sure this never happens again."

Mr Cant and Mr Strenge set up the company with their wives 25 years ago.

Mr Cant said: "We realise these things happen, but it is very upsetting when you work so hard to build up the businesses, and then someone just comes along and helps themselves.

"We run it as a family concern. That is why it is so terrible.

"We are here seven days a week. It's our lives.
"But it was business as usual yesterday. We don't give in that easily."

Insp Holmes said: "It would certainly appear that whoever broke into the shop knew what they were looking for, and where the items were.

"At some stage, they probably checked out the premises, posing as potential customers."

He appealed to snowboarders to contact police if they saw, or heard of, the stolen equipment being sold on.

Insp Holmes said: "The likelihood is these boards will appear again some time in the future.

"I would ask people in the skiing and snowboarding fraternity, if they see boards being sold cheaply to contact us."

Anyone with information should telephone police, on 01522 532222.