71983-26 A FOOTBALL mad eight-year-old who saved for months to buy his own goalposts was devastated to find they had been stolen.

Swindon Town fan Jake Hart, of Cherry Tree Road, Cricklade, saved all of his birthday money and months' worth of pocket money to buy the £60 set of goalposts.

Jake's mum Karen, 30, is now appealing to the thieves' conscience and is hopeful her son's beloved goalposts will be returned.

She said: "Jake is football mad and had bought the goalposts with his money after months of saving.

"He was devastated when he realised they had been taken."

Karen, a catering manager, believes the goalposts were stolen in the early hours of Saturday.

She says Jake plays football every waking hour and is a member of Cricklade Under 9s team.

He left the goalposts in the family's front garden on Friday evening.

He had previously left the 8ft by 4ft posts there without problems.

When he woke up on Saturday, he looked out of the front window to see his goalposts missing but just assumed his mum had moved them to the back garden.

Karen said: "When we realised the posts were gone, Jake was gutted and he was crying his eyes out.

"We decided to put up posters around Cricklade in the hope of someone seeing them and returning them. It would be nice if they were returned in the same way they were taken."

Karen said the goalposts were too heavy for just one person to steal and thinks they must have been taken by at least two people.

"I expect it was some drunken lads walking home from the pub who took them just for a laugh," said Karen.

"My son's goalposts might now be sitting in someone else's garden. If they are, we would really like to see them again."

If you have seen Jake's goalposts call 01793 752867.

Emma-Kate Lidbury