FOUR irreplaceable bowling trophies belonging to a group of ex-servicemen have been stolen -- leaving the fate of their competition hanging in the balance.

The trophies, dating back to the Second World War, are presented to the winners of a popular tournament organised every year by the Preston and District Ex-Services Council.

Winners are allowed to keep the trophies for a year until it's time to pass them on to the next winner of the event which takes place at Frenchwood Social and Bowling Club, Strawberry Gardens, Bence Road, Preston.

But as organisers were planning this year's event, they realised the coveted prizes were missing. And after making enquiries, they concluded that a bogus official must have tricked the winners into handing them over.

Edward Hearsey, secretary and treasurer of the council, said: "Usually I get them back before the competition and polish them, but they were gone.

"When I asked for the trophies back from last year's winners everyone said that somebody had already collected them, but nobody could remember who.

"We all feel very sick about this. Gutted.

"When I told the committee, everyone went very quiet."

According to Edward, who served in the army from 1947 to 1969, retiring as a Warrant Officer 1st class, the trophies would not be valuable if they were sold on. But to the members of the ex-services council they are priceless.

One of them -- the Loyals Cup -- was donated by the famous Loyals Regiment, the predecessor of the county's infantry regiment, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

Edward said: "They were donated by local regiments and soldiers, and some of the trophies date back to the war. We have several options now but we are leaving it to the committee, who meet next week, to decide what to do.

The Preston and District Ex-Services Council coordinates the work of 29 ex-service organisations. The groups of servicemen help to organise marches, raise money, and honour their old comrades at funerals.

Their annual Crown Green bowling competition is one of the highlights of their social calendar and attracts dozens of competitors.

The four trophies -- the Campbell Rose Bowl, the Barton Harrison Cup, the Colonel Jones Trophy, and the Loyals Cup -- were each mounted on a round light brown wooden plinth bearing a white metal band depicting past winners.

Anybody with any information should call Edward on 717556.