A CONMAN in Winchester made off with nearly £5,000 in valuables after tricking rugby players into believing he was a club official.

The thief even warned some of the players he was about to swindle that there had been thefts in the area, before making off with the goods in the scam.

The theft took place at the Winchester Rugby Club after the man strolled out behind the visiting team as they left the changing rooms.

He then approached the injured vice captain, flashed a fake warrant card at the player, stating he was from the home team and offered to lock the valuables in the changing room for safe keeping. He was even seen by another player, who followed him back to the changing rooms after ripping his shorts, to jangle some keys in the lock to make his con look realistic.

However when the visiting team, Sandown & Shanklin's second XV, returned to the changing rooms after a 50-5 drubbing by Winchester Rugby Club's third XV, they realised they had been had.

Guy Carroll, the injured Sandown vice-captain first approached by the thief, said: "He was as bold as brass, he had the hi-tech boots, and even the picture embossed warrant card and was totally believable.

"He even warned us about the spate of thefts in the area over the last few weeks, with Winchester City Football Club next door.

"You don't expect someone with all these kind of measures to be a conman."

Winchester Rugby Club chief executive Paul Beckett said: "It is a shame that Sandown & Shanklin have been caught by their own innocence and have complied right into the thief's hands."

It is not the first time this kind of scam has hit rugby clubs in Hampshire.

Isle of Wight RFC had their valuables stolen at Fawley when a person went to the bar at the Waterside Sports Club requesting the bag in January last year.

And a number of clubs in Dorset & Wiltshire have also fallen foul of thieves, throwing out a warning to all clubs across the region to be extra vigilant.

Sandown captain George Adams said: "It is obvious that these people have a knowledge of rugby and the trust that we have in our game.

"Winchester were absolutely superb and plied us with beer and food, and the club are blameless in all of this."

A spokesman for the police said: "We are aware of that incident and it is currently being investigated."

Anyone with information should call police on 0845 045 4545 or the anonymous Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111.