FIVE hundred bottles of lager were stolen from a social club in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Twenty-four cases of beer were taken from the York Railway Institute in Queen Street just a few hours after midnight.

British Transport Police, who are investigating the incident, have appealed for witnesses who may have seen a number of youths running through the streets of York carrying heavy cases of beer at about 2.30am on New Year's Day.

Each case contained twenty-four bottles of beer.

PC Nick Storey, of British Transport Police, said: "It looks like someone took a two-pound hammer and smashed the door of an outdoor storage building to smithereens.

"Shortly after that, at about 2.30am, a man called 999 and reported seeing a gang of about 15 youths running up Queen Street, towards Nunnery Lane.

"We can only assume that each of them was carrying a case of beer.

"They dropped some of them nearby.

"The next morning we discovered bottles lying broken in the street, and there was beer everywhere - but they must have got away with most of it."

Peter Watson, steward at the Railway Institute, said: "I discovered the mess at about 10am the following morning, and contacted the police straight away.

"It was certainly a shock, and it really spoiled New Year's Day for me.

"I had to spend the day fixing the damage they caused.

"Twenty-four cases of beer have gone, and there was a big hole in the door of the lock-up. Someone must have smashed it, climbed through and then passed out the cases.

"They had dropped bottles everywhere, and it was a real mess.

"I don't think they brought a van, otherwise they wouldn't have dropped so much of it.

"It's a big loss, but we do still have plenty of beer to serve."

Anyone with information about the incident should contact PC Storey at British Transport Police on freephone 0800 405040, quoting incident number 223 01/01.

Updated: 14:36 Tuesday, January 04, 2005