A grassroots football club has been left devastated after motocross bikes tore up the grass and left the pitches brutally damaged.

Pilgrims FC, based in Great Chart, Ashford, saw its facility in Chart Road churned up by the vandals yesterday afternoon.

Three dirt bike riders were spotted on the scene by club officials who had been at the ground to carry out a pitch inspection following the recent rain.

Gemma Carter Collins, who has a son in the club, says the parents and volunteer coaches have no idea if or where the teams will be able to play games for the foreseeable future.

She said: “It’s so sad to see the damage to the local football pitch – it’s actually really bad and worse than the photos show.

“My little boy - and more than 20 others, not to mention the children on the teams they were meant to play - have had their matches cancelled indefinitely because of this.

“It’s heartbreaking when these 9-10-year-olds look forward to their Saturday football games all week.

“Whoever did this may not know the consequences but wrecking football playing fields like this has wrecked Pilgrims’ under-10s season.

“Please, if you know who owns a motocross bike - encourage them to respect pitches.

“I know the laws don’t make it easy to enjoy them anyway but this type of destruction makes the reason for the laws.”

The Pilgrims FC pitch currently caters for more than 150 children and the club sunk more than £12,000 in ground renovations last year alone.

It has teams in the Ashford & District Youth Football League, East Kent Youth Football League, Ashford & District Saturday League and the Ashford and District Sunday Football League.

The age groups range from under 7s to open-age football.

Kent Police have been contacted for comment.