POLICE have released images of a suspected Merseyside golf club gang who have stolen £750,000 of top end equipment in the past year.

The two man crew, one of whom is said to have a Liverpool accent, walk into golf clubs pretending to be patrons before ransacking locker rooms for expensive equipment.

Police believe they may actually be golfers themselves because of their knowledge of how much each item costs.

Locally they have struck at Royal Birkdale in Southport; Hurlston Hall in Scarisbrick; Ormskirk Golf Club, Lathom; Dean Wood, Up Holland and Chorley, the last four within a 48-hour period.

They have also raided clubs in North Wales and Cheshire.

But they have also struck as far away as Somerset and Nottingham.

The case featured on BBC1’s Crimewatch programme in January but the appeal failed to generate any new leads for police, despite prompting officers from other forces to come forward with similar undetected crimes that police believe to be linked.

That means their list of crimes over the past 12 to 15 months has now increased to 60.

Newly released images show the two men in locker rooms at Dainton Park, in south Devon, removing clubs from lockers.

Detective Sergeant Dave Atherton from Leyland CID said: “I am hoping that with these new images, someone will be able to identify these men. They have targeted victims up and down the country and need to be caught.

“The offenders have typically gained access to the clubs during late afternoon into the early evening.

“They have forced lockers and selectively stolen the more expensive clubs, so they clearly know what they are doing.

“It is quite possible that they play golf themselves as they seem to be acutely aware of the protocols and seem confident in the club houses.”