THIEVES have a left a Bridgwater dance group heartbroken after stealing much of their rehearsal equipment.

The theft means that the Bridgwater Belles are now uncertain if they will be able to perform in this year’s Carnival. Belles founder, Linda Godfrey, told the Mercury how the group are devastated at the thought of missing their highlight of the year.

“We were devastated when we discovered everything had gone,” she said.

“We train all year for it. Everything is geared towards Carnival and now we might not be able to be in it.

“We’ve been doing it for ten years now and it’s what everyone involved with the Belles looks forward to. “All the girls are absolutely heartbroken.”

The two generators and three amplifiers were taken from a trailer in Waverley Road over the Easter Weekend which the Bridgwater Belles use for their music during rehearsals and performances.

Linda, whose garden the trailer was parked in, believes the thieves knew exactly what they were doing by targeting the trailer.

She said: “They’ve undone the screws at the back squeezed the generators and amps out of a tiny hatch so they must have known what was in there.”

Unless the equipment can be recovered the group will be faced with an uphill struggle to raise the funds to buy replacements for the items which took the dance troupe 10 years to accumulate.

However Linda said she has been overwhelmed with the generosity shown by the Bridgwater public with offers to help.

Local businesses have been offering to hold fundraisers and the Belles have had people come forward to offer to lend the group generators to allow them to rehearse.

“It’s been amazing,” Linda said. “It’s been shared all over Facebook and we’ve been contacted by so many people we’ve even been offered the use of a generator.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who has come forward so far.”

The items taken were a Honda 250 generator and a power craft 2.8 as well as the three amplifiers.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact Bridgwater police by calling 101 and quoting crime reference number 34601/15