Thieves have targeted a heritage railway near Oswestry stealing thousands of pounds worth of goods from trucks after forcing locks in an overnight raid.

The Heritage Railway based at the Old Goods Yard at Llynclys Station was targeted sometime between Sunday evening and yesterday morning.

Trustees found the locks had been forced on five trucks and equipment belonging to volunteers had been stolen. The hinges had also been taken off gates.

Brian Rowe, a volunteer and a member of the Cambrian Railways Trust, said: “They took a generator worth over £500. They have also taken some tools, but I don’t know the value yet, and two wheelbarrows, which we found up the top end of the field.”

Mr Rowe added the vehicles belonged to different people so they did not know at this stage exactly what had been stolen.

“I think they have taken many thousands of pounds worth actually,” he added.

“Five vehicles were broken into. We store all our equipment in these vehicles. They didn’t come down our drive, they drove across two fields.

“A lot of stuff belongs to our own members and comes out of their own pockets. It’s dreadful. We take one step forward, then two steps back.”

He said about six months ago seven windows were smashed costing about £250 each.

“It’s sad, at times we feel like we are working for nothing. Everybody is very depressed about it. It costs so much to repair the damage they have done,” he added.

Police spokesman Richard Ewels appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 0300 3333000.