The chairman of a village social club has told how he was woken at 4am as burglars fled with the club's weekend takings.

Paul White, chairman of Wootton Fitzpaine Social Club, said £400 in cash, the club's weekend takings, were stolen in the burglary, but he feels 'lucky' more damage wasn't done.

As previously reported, Dorset Police revealed that a burglary was reported at at around 4am on Friday, October 4 at Wootton Fitzpaine Social Club off Westover Hill. Police only released the details of the incident this week.

According to the police, a safe containing cash was stolen, as well as a large bottle of alcohol.

Mr White said: “Luckily, they didn’t do damage. The alarm was going off at around 4am. I was alerted by my neighbour, who like me also lives opposite to the club.

“We were lucky, because the alarm went off, they weren’t there for a long period of time.”

It is estimated by the club that around £400 was in the safe, which was takings from the weekend along with a ‘large bottle of whiskey.’

Mr White added: “It could have been worse, but it’s not that bad at all - we do pay someone to be behind the bar, but we also have volunteers from the community come to run it, and that will make up for it.

“Everything is okay, we are in the process of having new heating installed, and re-decorating, and this hasn’t changed our plans.

“The police advised the club to install cameras as a deterrent in the future.”

Mr White said this was the fourth burglary in the space of a week in the area, as he says the Lyme Regis Football Club, the Cloak and Lawns in Axminster as well as Perry Street in South Chard were also broken into.

Officers investigating the burglary are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Police Constable Richard Robson, of West Dorset police, said: “I am appealing to anyone who saw or heard suspicious activity in the area to please contact Dorset Police.

“A vehicle was seen being driven off around the time of the incident and I would also ask anyone who may have captured relevant dashcam footage to please come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55240152673.