Thieves broke into changing rooms used by young rugby players in Melksham as they took part in a practice session, stealing cash, phones and other valuables.

Cooper-Avon Rugby Club team coach Scot Simmons, 21, from Melksham, said: “We had decided to keep our training session nice and short as we didn’t have a game at the weekend.

“So at about 6.05pm we locked up the changing rooms and trained for an hour.”

When the players got back to the changing rooms in the cricket pavilion some of them noticed their bags were missing.

Mr Simmons said they initially thought it was a practical joke but soon realised it wasn’t, with 16 out of the 19 players having their belongings stolen. “We thought it might have been a joke, but then when we went into the kitchen and saw the boarded-up window had been broken into we knew someone had taken everything,” he said.

The bags contained mobile phones, house and car keys and wallets containing money and cards.

Some of the bags were later found dumped in St Michael and All Angels churchyard, but all the valuable items had gone. The amount stolen in total is thought to come to about £500.

The club now plans to put all their valuables into a bag at the beginning of each training session so they can be locked away or guarded.

Pc Kevin Harmsworth, of Melksham Police said: “We have given the group security advice, as most of the windows in the building are protected by wire mesh but because this one had been damaged it wasn’t.”

The team administrator, who asked not to be named as his son was one of the victims, said: “I got a call from one of my son’s friends saying that they had been burgled during the session.

“I went down there and found that my son’s bag had been taken. I have had to change the locks on the house because our address was in my son’s bag, as well as the keys.”

Players have had to cancel phone contracts and cash cards, as well as replacing driving licences.

“It’s horrible because these kids have jobs in places like Sainsbury’s and Somerfield to save up for things they want, and now they have been taken from them,” he added.

Melksham Police are appealing for information. Call 0845 408 7000 if you can help the inquiry.