A FOOTBALL club chairman is ‘annoyed’ and ‘frustrated’ after four-wheeled vandals cut up playing fields.

Steve Kenny, 46, who has chaired Whalley Juniors Football Club for eight years, was shocked to discover several deep tyre tracks at the sports ground in Mitton Road.

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Police said they were called out at 8.30am on Thursday and discovered a blue Ford Fiesta abandoned on playing fields close to The Sidings. Goalposts were damaged and Mr Kenny suspects more than one vehicle was involved.

The playing fields are set to undergo an £80,000 redevelopment later this year after funding was granted from Sport England.

But The Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields trustee member said that does not excuse such reckless behaviour.

He said: “I am very annoyed at the state of these pitches, I saw what had happened and couldn’t believe it. The people responsible for this clearly do not have any regard or concern about the consequences this sort of damage can do.

“Going off the tracks on the field, it looks like a car has driven onto the field and broken some plastic posts we leave out for youngsters to use when we’re not playing, then has got stuck. Then they have got some sort of big vehicle to pull it free and then driven off.

“If this had happened in a few months time when the development starts, it would have cost us several thousands of pounds to fix.”

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

It is the second park in East Lancashire to have been damaged by tyre marks as Roe Lee Park in Blackburn suffered damage from off-roading vehicles.

Whalley councillor Joyce Holgate, said: “I’m very shocked to think something like this could happen in an area like Whalley.”

“It’s those few who do silly things and it can have a massive impact on so many who use those fields.”

A Lancashire police spokesman said:”Enquiries are on-going, if anyone has any information about this incident they should call the police on 101.”