Kinnerton, Chester,Cheshire - Thieves in Kinnerton get away with guns and grenades

Published date: 20 October 2015 | 

Published by: Robert Doman 
Read more articles by Robert Doman Email reporter

MORE than 100 paintball guns and grenades have been stolen from a former military base in a £15,000 raid.

And the 98 guns and blue and red smoke grenades stolen from a paintballing centre in Kinnerton, near Chester, could prove fatal if used, according to the owner.

The weapons were stolen from the Outpost Paintball centre on the England-Wales border in the early hours of Friday along with other equipment, including power tools, two-way radios and pressure washers.

Owner Jon Evans described the break-in as “a nightmare”. He has vowed to improve security at his site after burglars cut through gates and containers to gain access to the weapons hoard.

“These guns could prove to be potentially fatal in the wrong hands,” said Mr Evans, 37, who set up Outpost Paintball at the former military base six years ago.

“If they are loaded with rubber bullets, they will be classed as a firearm and if they hit someone in the eye it could cause very severe injuries or worse.

“It is an absolute nightmare. I felt sick when I discovered what had happened.”

Mr Evans, who estimates his losses at £15,000, said he believes the burglars will have used industrial tools to cut into the containers used to store the equipment on-site after also cutting their way through chains securing gates to the site.

“It took many years for us to build up this equipment. It’s fair to say I am pretty cheesed off,” Mr Evans said.

“Security will be improved here now and we will have to store the remaining equipment elsewhere.”

North Wales Police are appealing for information following the theft of 98 Tippmann paintball guns with a gas bottle and hopper.

Two new Spider/Electro paintball guns, an Inverse Mini paintball gun and 350 green paintball containers were also taken along with the blue and red smoke grenades.

Six two-way radios, two paintballing masks, a box of paintballing gloves and 90 Outpost barrel socks were stolen as well.

Also taken were two pressure washers, one of which was an orange Stihl pressure washer, three Makita drills with batteries and an orange and cream Stihl leaf blower.

Anyone with information about the raid, or who may have been approached by someone offering to sell any of the items, should call North Wales Police as soon as possible on 101 quoting reference S159143

For full story see - http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/153928/thieves-in-kinnerton-get-away-with-guns-and-grenades.aspx