Former Olympic weightlifter chases off would-be thief at Europa Gym in Temple Hill, Dartford

An attempted theft from a newly-refurbished gym was averted after the would-be thief was stopped in his tracks by a former Olympic weightlifter.

CCTV footage shows the moment a man was chased from the grounds of the Europa Gym in Temple Hill, Dartford, which is currently undergoing a major makeover.

Former Olympian and head coach Andrew Callard, who has been spearheading the revamp, managed to stop the burglar who had entered the container filled with tools just before 2pm on December 28.

“We were working inside the building and the container had been left unlocked,” he said.

“I went outside just at the right time and saw the unwelcome visitor in the container. I chased him away.”

The man was captured on CCTV again at 9.30pm the same day and the alarms were activated.

Andrew, who competed in the weightlifting at the 1992 Olympics, added: “He came back for another look but the alarms scared him off.”

The gym is finally due to open next month following a string of highs and lows since the makeover started more than four years ago.

Dartford Gym and Youth Club, also known as Europa Gym, has been hampered by a string of stumbling blocks including funding problems, Covid and a burglary which saw it robbed of £30,000 worth of equipment.

Last year the renovation was awarded £244,920 as one of 45 places across the country to receive a share of more than £12.3 million which means the final stages of the renovation can now be completed.

The long-awaited new-look gym is due to be unveiled on February 3 with an open invitation for the public to enjoy a taste of the variety of activities which will be available.

They will include 3G football pitches, weightlifting and aerial, hoop and dance classes.