Theft from volunteers

By Lachlan Ellis

A volunteer-run BMX club has had its track car, bikes, and equipment stolen, and is urging anyone with useful information to come forward.

The Bacchus Marsh BMX Club is located at the Bacchus Marsh Racecourse Reserve, and was recently the victim of a callous theft which has left the club out of pocket, and without the equipment it needs to operate.

Bacchus Marsh BMX Club Co-President, Simon Antonello, said the theft was “incredibly frustrating”.

“They took the car, four club bikes, start gate equipment, and some other bits and pieces. The car’s a Suzuki Vitara. The bikes will be no good to keep on the street, they’re race bikes…we think the theft was Sunday night [25 September],” Mr Antonello told the Moorabool News.

“They’ve used a rebar cutter to cut the safety lock on the container, then used oxyacetylene to cut the actual padlock itself…so they’ve gone to a real effort to break in. It’s really frustrating, and now we’ve got to try and find the money to buy a car, which we don’t have. The club’s only four years old, and we’re struggling as it is. I work full-time, most people at the club do.”

The theft comes at a particularly unfortunate time for the club, with the State Titles coming up this month.

“The car is suited to the track, it’s used to make the track smooth for the kids. We’ll have to get the same model of car and put another two-inch lift on it and all the rest of it, to get it to work. The kids have the Victorian State Championships coming up this week. We can’t do any training to get ready for the State Series now,” Mr Antonello said.

“We had that much training lined up for the next couple of weeks…now none of that can happen.”

If you have any information that could help the club recover the stolen items, contact Bacchus Marsh Police on 5366 4500.

The club is also always looking for new members – get in touch via social media if joining the club interests you.