LITTLEPORT S new youth centre has been targeted by thieves who escaped with laptops and a projector worth £3,500. The burglars broke into the former medical centre on Granby Street on Sunday night. Young People s centre founder, youth worker Phil Malkin,

LITTLEPORT'S new youth centre has been targeted by thieves who escaped with laptops and a projector worth £3,500.

The burglars broke into the former medical centre on Granby Street on Sunday night.

Young People's centre founder, youth worker Phil Malkin, had been working at the centre until 6.30pm and returned just over two hours later to find the equipment missing.

A nearby shopkeeper saw two men running away.

He said: "This is going to slow down our work and the kids will suffer. We are working on the top floor of the building and the two laptops were going to be used in the IT suite.

"The thieves also got away with a small amount of cash but, luckily, we had moved out the bulk of it.

"Everything we are doing here is paid for by the kids' subs, money donated or money out of my own pocket. I have put in about £40,000 and if the centre really needed something I would try to find it but it's not a bottomless pit. When something like this happens it is really frustrating."

The shopkeeper, who asked not to be named, said: "I saw two young men running towards the railway station and they were carrying something.

"I have seen them before in my shop and I would definitely recognise them again."

He described them as skinny, with brown hair, wearing track suits and aged between 18 and 20.

Now Littleport Parish Council is scanning CCTV images to see whether the break-in was recorded.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Cambridgeshire police on 0845 456 4564 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.