West Midlands Police took the unusual step of donating £1,000 to a Birmingham cricket club after a terrifying robbery on the clubhouse premises.

A female bar worker and three customers at Old Hill CC were locked in a refrigerated cellar by a masked gang late at night in April while the premises were ransacked for cash and spirits.  

The woman was approached by four men as she locked up and was threatened with a screwdriver. The four victims were forced to hand over personal possessions before being locked in the cellar. They managed to break out after an hour.

DC Derek Cole, of West Midlands Police CID, said at the time: “Thankfully no one was badly harmed but they were, understandably, very shaken by their ordeal.”

The police returned to Haden Park Road to donate £1,000 from the Police Property Act fund that distributed money raised from the sale of property confiscated from criminals. This was in recognition of the work the club had been doing for youth cricket in Sandwell, with the donation earmarked for new nets.

Old Hill, former national club champions in the Birmingham & District League, suffered financially from the wet 2012 and they took another hit with the robbery. So the donation proved to be a welcome windfall.

PCSO Adam Blackford visited Old Hill to hand over the cheque. He said: "I am delighted to be donating this money to a group which has such a positive effect for youngsters in our local community. We work closely with the younger members of to offer advice on staying safe while responding to any issues affecting them and their peers.

He added: "This club gives young people a fantastic opportunity get involved in a positive sporting activity, whilst learning discipline and increasing determination and fitness."
 
Over the past five years West Midlands Police have donated more than £5 million to community groups from the Police Property Act Fund, but the perpetrators of the shocking cricket club robbery remained at large.