A FATHER-OF-TWO was left in just his swimming trunks when thieves ripped open a locker, stole his car keys and emptied his bank account.

Chris Heath and his wife Jill, from Headington, are planning to sue Oxford City Council and their bank for distress after the theft at Ferry Sports Centre in Summertown.

Mr Heath took his two children swimming at the sports centre in March but when he returned to his locker all his possessions had been stolen, including bank cards, house and car keys.

Without any clothes he dashed into the car park and found the family's Ford Focus was missing.

Within 25 minutes of the break-in a thief, posing as a policeman, took £300 from Mr Heath's bank account at Abbey in Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

In a similar raid, Neil Boon and Gunther Hansen's lockers were emptied by thieves at Ferry Sports Centre.

Mr Heath said: "I was more worried for the children. We were all very distressed. Since it happened to us back in March it's obvious the council has still not done anything about it which is quite poor. It looks to be a well organised crime."

His wife added sports centre staff told them locker break-ins 'happen all the time' and the security cameras had not been working.

The couple believe thieves followed Mr Heath from the car park and loitered in the changing room before breaking into the locker. At the bank, the thief used a blank police warrant card as identification, pretending to be a police officer called Chris Heath. It is believed CCTV cameras at the bank was not switched on at the time.

Mrs Heath said: "We feel the council has a duty of care to our belongings. As paying customers he did what was correct, locking things away in lockers provided, but they are inadequate and broken into all the time. It's appalling. My children were scared to death. They thought someone was going to be in the house. I can't understand why there have not been warnings about this."

Formal complaints have been made against the council and the bank and insurance claims have been lodged.

If an agreement cannot be reached the Heath family plan to lodge a writ and sue the council and bank for distress and the money they lost.

The couple said they believed the sports centre should improve security or warn customers.

Their car was found abandoned at Gloucester Green.

Steve Holt, the centre's leisure operations manager, said changing room surveillance would be stepped up.

Police spokesman Toby Shergold said they were investigating five reports of thefts from lockers this year.

A spokesman for Abbey apologised and said the bank had reimbursed the funds lost and would offer £100 as a goodwill gesture for distress caused.

He said staff were being given extra training after the withdrawal was allowed despite the thief refusing to provide a third item of identification.

Have you been a victim of thieves at the Ferry Centre? Call our newsdesk on 01865 425500.