Thieves have ransacked the construction site of Wrexham AFC's new multi-million-pound academy training ground.

The state-of-the-art facility, backed by the club's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is currently being constructed as part of ambitious plans to improve infrastructure for the team's young starlets. The site next to Darland High School in the village of Rossett, near Wrexham, was targeted by burglars over the Christmas period.

Police confirmed that a valuable John Deere tractor and Bateson trailer were among the items taken during the incident, which also damaged a padlocked gate. The break-in is understood to have occurred sometime between Friday, 20 December, and Friday, 3 January.

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A spokesperson for the League One outfit said the club had filed a police report and was now looking to recover costs via its insurers. A North Wales Police spokesperson said: "Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact officers on 101, or via our website, using reference number 25000008049."

The development has been hit by a number of controversies after work to build the facility started before planning permission was given. Two buildings are being created on an area of green land as part of the scheme, including changing rooms, offices, a medical room and a gym.

Wrexham officials said it would enable them to bring through the next generation of talent as the Hollywood owners look to achieve their dream of taking the club into the Premier League. Several objections were received from neighbours regarding the scale and “brutal” appearance of the scheme, as well as concerns over noise, traffic and light pollution.

However, the proposals were backed by Wrexham Council's planning committee in December after reference was made to Reynolds and McElhenney’s positive impact on the community. The decision was rubber-stamped despite a local Conservative politician criticising the club for its handling of planning rules.

Jeremy Kent, who lives opposite Wrexham's Racecourse Ground, told last month's planning meeting: “This is actually the third retrospective application from the football club for different things, whether it be the temporary stand or the signage on the stadium. This is the same organisation continually making retrospective applications and I have a real issue with that.”

He added: “Somebody needs to sort this out, stop putting retrospective applications in and actually do it right from the start.”