A POOLE martial arts club says it had 40 mats stolen from a gym where they had been left for safekeeping while its teacher was battling cancer.

Following the death of Tim Buswell at the age of 55, members of Takesumu Iwama South Coast Aikido Club were horrified to discover the club’s mats had all gone missing from Fitness First at Fleetsbridge.

They have now embarked on fundraising to ensure the club’s future and replace the mats, which cost £99 each new.

Andy Channer, who has taken over running the club, said: “Our classes were held at Fitness First for over a year. When we went there, they said we could keep the mats upstairs in the studio. We left them knowing they were in a secure facility.

“Fitness First then moved them to an outside storage room that should have been locked and somebody has walked off with all our mats. We were left with no club mats and no funds and are scratching to begin again.

“They have tried to say they had no way of getting hold of our teacher. He couldn’t get back to say anything and passed away from cancer last year. We had known him for 20 years.

“I went down to Fitness First myself late last year and told them his last wish was that the club should continue. That’s when they said the mats weren’t there.”

“I was really cross. He was a teacher I honoured and respected for 25 years and was very well-loved.

“The mats belonged to him. We had no funds at all.”

The club now meets at St Marys Church Hall in Oakdale and last weekend held a fundraising seminar with demonstrations from four top teachers and a Shaolin monk. No one from Fitness First had commented at the time of going to press.