Key Points
- According to members of the St Fagans bowls and cricket club of Cardiff, a metal Asgard shed worth £1,785 has been stolen from their premises.
- Witnesses informed the club that the theft occurred over two nights at the tail-end of October.
- The shed is thought to weigh about 300 kilograms and be made of solid steel.
- It would seem that the criminals may have disassembled the shed and returned the next night to remove its foundation with specialized equipment.
- The shed contained bowls apparatus that were scattered around the field.
- Dave Medlam, the club’s vice-chair said that the equipment was “all jumbled up and strewn about”.
- Jon Russell, an experienced member of the club, expressed his anger at such theft in a venue frequented by older people.
- The South Wales Police confirmed that they are investigating the case but there are still no witnesses or surveillance footage of the event.
- The CCTV system which covered the area where the shed was placed was previously stolen in 2024.
- The club had left the shed open in order to protect it from vandalism.
Cardiff (Wales Times) November 13, 2026 — Members discovered that an Asgard shed, reported to be worth £1,785, had gone from the club’s grounds. Its contents, including bowls equipment, were reportedly left scattered across the field.
uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff sports club theft has left members of St Fagans bowls and cricket club searching for answers after a heavy steel storage shed was removed from their field in what witnesses believe was a two-night operation.
As reported by WalesOnline, eyewitnesses told the club that thieves targeted the shed over two nights at the end of October. The publication reported that the offenders may have taken the structure apart piece by piece before returning the next evening with specialist tools to unscrew its “fully integral base”, which would be needed to rebuild it elsewhere.
How was the shed removed?
The shed was reported to weigh 300 kilograms and to be made of solid steel. According to WalesOnline, club members have been left uncertain how anyone was able to move it over a 4ft wall and through double gates.
One concerned club member told WalesOnline: “I just don’t know how they done it.”
The club had reportedly left the shed unlocked. WalesOnline reported that this decision was intended to deter would-be thieves from damaging the structure, rather than because members believed its contents were unsecured.
The shed was used to store bowls equipment. When members found that it had gone, the equipment inside was reportedly “all jumbled up and strewn about”, according to club vice-chair Dave Medlam, as quoted by WalesOnline.
What did club members say?
Jon Russell, who has been a member of St Fagans bowls and cricket club for 27 years, criticised the theft. As reported by WalesOnline, he said: “The fact that somebody’s targeted something that helps the older generation makes me really mad. There’s a lot of people who have worked very hard to keep the club going.”
His comments reflected concern not only about the loss of the shed, but also about the impact on a community sports club that relies on volunteers and long-term members to continue operating.
Mr Russell’s remarks, as reported by WalesOnline, highlighted the effort involved in maintaining the club. He said that many people had worked hard to keep it going, although the report did not provide further details about the club’s finances, membership numbers or plans to replace the shed.
What has police said?
South Wales Police confirmed that it was investigating the incident. A force spokesperson told WalesOnline: “Unfortunately, as of yet, there have been no witnesses nor CCTV of the incident.”
The absence of footage has complicated the investigation. WalesOnline reported that a CCTV system which had previously covered the shed was stolen in 2024, meaning the area was not covered by cameras at the time of the alleged theft.
No arrests, suspects or recovered property were reported in the available coverage. WalesOnline did not report that police had identified a motive or established whether the shed was taken for resale, scrap or another purpose.
Why was the shed left unlocked?
The decision to leave the shed unlocked was reported by WalesOnline as a deliberate measure by the club. According to the report, members hoped that leaving it unlocked would deter offenders from causing damage while attempting to break into it.
That approach did not prevent the shed itself from being taken. The report did not say whether the club had been advised by police or insurers to secure the shed differently, nor did it state whether the club planned to change its security arrangements.
The theft raises practical questions for community sports clubs that store equipment outdoors. While the report does not establish that the club’s approach was unsafe, it illustrates the difficulty of protecting large, valuable equipment at open sports grounds, particularly where CCTV coverage has been lost.
What was taken?
The reported loss was the Asgard shed itself, valued at £1,785. WalesOnline described it as a solid steel structure with a fully integral base.
The shed contained bowls equipment, which was left behind but scattered across the field. The report did not identify the individual items, their value or whether any equipment was damaged.
Asgard is a manufacturer of secure steel storage buildings. The company’s own news pages include reports of shed and equipment thefts elsewhere, although the available search results did not identify a separate statement from Asgard about the Cardiff incident.
What happens next?
South Wales Police’s investigation remains ongoing. The force said that, at the time of reporting, it had no witnesses and no CCTV footage of the incident.
WalesOnline’s report did not say whether the club had made an insurance claim, whether it intended to install replacement security measures, or whether it had launched a public appeal for information. It also did not report a date by which the club expected to replace the shed.
For now, the club’s immediate loss is both practical and financial: a shed used to store bowls equipment has been removed, and the equipment it protected was left exposed on the field.
Background of the development
St Fagans bowls and cricket club is a community sports club in Cardiff. According to WalesOnline, Mr Russell has been a member for 27 years, indicating long-standing participation in the club’s activities.
The club used the Asgard shed to store bowls equipment. WalesOnline reported that the shed was valued at £1,785 and weighed 300 kilograms, making its removal a substantial physical task.
The alleged theft is reported to have taken place over two nights at the end of October. The club discovered the aftermath after the shed had gone and its contents had been strewn across the field.
The loss of a CCTV system in 2024 is a relevant part of the background. WalesOnline reported that the system had previously covered the shed, but its theft meant that there was no camera footage available to assist police after the latest incident.
South Wales Police is the force responsible for policing the Cardiff area. Its spokesperson said the investigation was continuing, but that no witnesses or footage had yet been identified.
Prediction: how this development can affect the audience
For members of St Fagans bowls and cricket club, the immediate effect is likely to be disruption to the storage and handling of bowls equipment. Without the shed, equipment may need to be kept elsewhere, moved more frequently or protected through alternative arrangements.
For older members and regular users of the club, the incident may create concern about the security of facilities that support their sporting and social activities. Mr Russell’s comments, as reported by WalesOnline, indicate that members see the shed as part of a wider effort to sustain a club that serves the local community.
For other community sports clubs in Cardiff and beyond, the case may prompt a review of outdoor storage security. Clubs that keep equipment in sheds, containers or open storage areas may consider whether their locks, lighting, fencing, gates and camera coverage are adequate, particularly where previous equipment has been stolen.
For local residents, the reported theft may increase awareness of crime affecting community facilities. However, South Wales Police has said there are no witnesses or CCTV footage at this stage, so residents should avoid speculation about who was responsible or how the shed was removed.
For the club’s volunteers and organisers, the development may lead to additional costs and administrative work. Replacing a £1,785 steel shed, securing replacement storage and potentially restoring CCTV coverage could require fundraising, insurance discussions or support from local partners, although no such plans were reported in the available coverage.
