Vandals trash football club

DAMAGE WAS SO BAD THAT OFFICIALS CONSIDERED CLOSING DOWN

VANDALS so badly damaged a football club’s base that officials considered closing it.

Windows, walls and ceilings were smashed at Loughborough FC, paint was splattered over carpets and the pitch was left littered with drug paraphernalia and drink bottles after the ground off Derby Road was broken into.

The club’s insurer will not cover the cost of the damages as no proper CCTV system is installed at the site.

Assistant manager Paul Holmes said: “They smashed all the windows, walls and ceiling, pulled out the insulation, axed the locks and ripped out the door frames.

Canteen supplies of tea, coffee and food were all stolen or destroyed, along with all of the club’s footballs.

Ground manager John Belton, 74, said: “The damage was so horrendous we thought of shutting the place.

“We couldn’t imagine how we were going to rebuild our club.”

He said the club contacted police after previous vandalism, and officers patrolled the area at night, but the second incident took place during the day.

Footage from a hidden camera placed by the club has been given to the police.

John said: “While the council has been quite supportive, it simply has no funds to offer us.”

The club has set up a JustGiving page to ask the community for donations to help restore their beloved grounds.

The club said its main priority is to build new, robust fences to keep out future trespassers.

The damage was so horrendous we thought of shutting. We couldn’t imagine how we were going to rebuild John Belton