A FOOTBALL club chairman said he is frustrated after vandals tore up his club’s grounds with their cars for the third time this summer.

Whalley Juniors FC members labelled inconsiderate vandals ‘idiots’ after they discovered their pitches had been damaged by drivers doing ‘donuts’ on the grass.

Steve Kenny, chairman of Whalley Juniors Football Club, said he is getting tired of the disruptions and is worried that one more incident could seriously jeopardise the pitch once the funds have dried up.

He said: “I’m frightened to death this will happen again and ruin all this hard work.

“It’s so frustrating, I’m so angry. The damage could have cost a fortune.

“We’ve worked really hard over the years to get the pitches how they are today.”

The Queen Elizabeth II playing fields playing in Mitton Park are the subject of an £80,000 fundraising campaign after a £50,000 grant from Sport England and £8,000 from the Ribble Valley Council was secured to improve the facilities.

The rest of the money has been made up of fundraising by the club itself, who are undergoing the final work on the pitch now in preparation for it being finalised in October.

Voluntary groundsman David Leeming said: “When you turn up and see this on the ground that I’ve done so much hard work on it’s not very nice at all.

“All the money that has been spent on it and people are coming here to destroy it it doesn’t feel good at all.”

The clubs anger at the incident has been slightly calmed however after a charitable donation from a nearby business.

Harrisons Engineering company, Longworth Road have donated two sets of security gates for each entrance to the pitches to try and finally put an end to the vandalism problems.

Mr Kenny said he was left ‘annoyed’ and ‘frustrated’ earlier this year after twice suffering near identical incidents to the pitches.

The park is managed by Whalley Parish Council and is used by cricket, football, tennis and bowls clubs.

A similar incident also occurred at Langho Football club last week when vandals drove through their Dewhurst Road football pitches.

Deputy leader of Ribble Valley Council, CllrTerry Hill, said: “Its appalling the damage that has been done.”

“Its been a big project on the pitches, and a group of hard working people are trying their very best to provide the best facilities possible for the people of Whalley.”

Cllr Joyce Holgate, who represents Whalley, said: “ has called for those responsible to be found and reported so that they face a punishment for their careless crime which is harming the youth of the area.

She said: “Any damage is really bad for the young people.” They’ve already been working so hard to raise money for these facilities.

“I really hope they catch the culprits who are responsible it’s just so wrong.”