IF THEY fall into the wrong hands it could be very dangerous.

That was the warning today from the owner of three archery bows, stolen when thieves raided his garden shed between 10pm on Sunday and 7am the next morning .

Andy Cranston, of Chatsworth Crescent, off Prince of Wales Drive in Ipswich, said the archery equipment was worth �3,000, while thieves made off with a further �700 worth of power tools and mountain bikes.

Chairman of the local archery club The Blue Arrows, Mr Cranston, said: “On Monday my wife noticed the shed was open and a plastic chair was propped up against the fence.

“They stole two bikes, two sets of power tools – one of which was really heavy – and three archery sets. It is devastating, I am absolutely gutted. I don’t believe they know what they have taken. It is very specialist kit, you have to know what you are doing with it.

“If you don’t and you don’t handle it properly it could go off and cause serious damage. The arrows go off at 180ft a second. If someone were to just point it in jest at someone, it could be very dangerous indeed.”

Mr Cranston said while one of the archery sets has been recovered police officers are today still hunting for the rest of his belongings.

“It is gutting, they were only in the shed for that one day,” the 39-year-old added. “Normally they are kept in the garage or our dining room. It is so frustrating, it is the first time in four years they have been put in there.”

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said: “To take part in archery involves both training and skill, and therefore these items could be dangerous when in the wrong hands.

“The archery equipment is valuable and unusual so we are especially appealing for those with an interest in the sport to make police aware of any information or suspicious behaviour.”

If you have any information call the CIB at police on 101.

n Have you been targeted as a victim of crime? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk