THIEVES left a trail of damage after stealing cash from Weymouth’s Sealife Park and tools from the nearby Rio Grande Railway.

Sealife staff arrived for work to find thieves had broken into one of the buildings and stolen money before leaving beer cans and glasses scattered around.

The intruders also smashed glass in the gardener’s greenhouse as well as breaking a mirror and damaging plants in last weekend’s raid.

Connie Lurger, guest experience manager at the park, said the thieves damaged a fence when they gained entry.

She said: “We came into the park in the morning and they had opened boxes of leaflets and scattered them around the park.

“They broke glasses they had brought in and there were beer cans throughout the park.”

Mrs Lurger said the broken fence has been fixed and an alarm has been fitted in the building, which was broken into to ensure all of the park’s buildings are now alarmed.

She said less than £100 was stolen.

Other businesses at Lodmoor Country Park have been affected by vandalism and break-ins.

Darren Melhuish, owner of the Rio Grande Railway, said a minority of young drinkers have caused problems and he had £6,900 worth of tools stolen in February.

Mr Melhuish said: “We are plagued by anti-social behaviour and beer bottles from unruly kids.

“I can’t say it’s all kids as some of them will pick up their litter.

“It’s just a minority.”

Mr Melhuish said his tools were stolen when he was on holiday and a friend who was keeping an eye on the railway discovered the burglary.

He said: “We were away at the end of February when they cut all the locks.

“They took Makita tools, Snap-on and Draper Tools. They had a lucky pick.”

He added: “The PCSO Clive Joyner has been good as gold but what can you do about it?

“That’s the million dollar question.”

“We don’t want to ban drinking here as you have families having picnics.”

A Dorset Police spokesman said the theft at the Sealife Park occurred sometime during the night of Saturday, May 8, and morning of Sunday, May 9.

He confirmed a fence was broken to gain entry to the park.

He said inside the park a hut was broken into and money was stolen that was to be used for the floats for the attractions.

Officers want to question a group of teenagers seen climbing over the fence near the Sea Life Park at 7pm on Saturday.

Anyone with information can call Dorset Police on 01305 222222.