Newcastle players robbed

NEWCASTLE ENGLAND, July 27: A thief wandered into Newcastle United8217;s training ground changing rooms and stole two Rolex watches and a gold chain worth almost 17,000 pounds about Rs 11.34 lakhs, police said today.

Belgian defender Philipe Albert lost a 13,700 pounds watch while Italian international, Alessandro Pistone lost a 3,000 pound gold chain in the theft.The players discovered the items were missing when they returned to the changing rooms after a three-hour training session at the Riverside Sports Ground.

Detective constable Bruce Burn, of Chester-le-Street CID, said: 8220;It appears the players originally thought they were victims of a prank by teammates before realising the property has been stolen.8221;

Durham police has now advised the club on how to improve security.