A band has been counting the cost after thousands of pounds of musical equipment was stolen from a lock-up garage in Dovercourt.

A rare drum kit, amplifiers, cymbals, microphones and wires were stolen from the garage in Ashley Road which the group The Ballcock Sisters rents.

Keyboard player Mick Heath, of Barrack Street, Bradfield, said today the band - especially drummer Spick Taylor of The Kingsway, Dovercourt - were upset at the theft.

He said: "Spick is particularly upset - it's like someone stealing his mum's silver. The garage had four padlocks on it and they cropped the lot.

"It looks as though other garages in the complex were either tampered with or broken into."

Among the thieves' haul were a rare white Yamaha Power-V drum kit worth £2,000, three Carlsbro amplifiers worth £1,000, a bag of cymbals worth £1,500 and miscellaneous items worth £700.

Mr Heath said the theft will affect on the band. "We are doing a charity gig at the Oliver Twist in Colchester on May 13 for Cancer Research and that will still go ahead but obviously we have got to go out and buy more equipment."

Anyone with information about the thefts should contact Harwich police on 01255 241312 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

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