BURGLARS got away with just a handful of loose change after smashing their way into Clacton Leisure Centre.

Two men smashed their way through glass doors at the Vista Road site and made straight for the vending machines.

Staff at the centre, run by Tendring Council, had already emptied the machine’s coin boxes at closing time, as they do every night.

It meant the crooks got away with just a small amount of change left inside.

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, said: “One of the men tried to gain entry to the other snack machine without any luck and then jumped over the reception counter looking for anything of value.

“The police attended the site very quickly but the raiders were only inside the building for just over two minutes and had made their escape.”

Nothing else was taken in the incident on Friday at 1.52am.

Mick Skeels, councillor responsible for leisure, said there have been recent break-ins at other centres owned by the council in Dovercourt and Brightlingsea.

He said: “On each occasion the thieves have got away with little or nothing but the council, and therefore the taxpayer, has been left to foot the bill running into several thousand pounds.

“It is very frustrating and this is mainly vandalism as we always empty the cash machines at sites before we close up.”

It is the second time this year that the vending machines have been targeted at Clacton Leisure Centre.

In January crooks made off with £40 after breaking into a machine.