Vandals are continuing to wreak havoc at a football club that supports hundreds of youngsters across the town.

Just days into 2017, sheets of metal fencing, which protect Strike Force Football Club’s 3G pitches, have been cut out and ripped away – and not for the first time.

The club, based at The Mount playing fields in London Road, will have to pay to have the fence repaired from vital cash, which should be poured into training equipment for young players.

Maintenance manager Steve Griffiths said the same thing happened last year and the club are constantly battling vandals who daub the clubhouse with paint.

He said: “The 3G pitch has a fence around it and it is special metal mesh fencing.

“I arrived on Wednesday to do the usual maintenance and found that someone had been at it again and part of the fence was cut out and missing.

“Before Christmas, we had another piece of it stolen and had to pay out to replace it.

“I think people would steal it for all sorts of reasons – covering ponds, for their own fencing.

“It must have been done in the dead of night as there were people there until around 8.30pm to 9pm on Tuesday, and they must know what they are doing, as they would need bolt-cutters to get through it.

“Not only that, but we are dealing with a lot of graffiti on the clubhouse.

“It is not good at all and it is costing the club money, which could be spent on training equipment for both the adult players and the kids we have here.

“It’s a real shame.”

In November last year, vandals caused £2,000 of damage to Faversham Rugby Club equipment at the recreation ground.

A pair of rugby posts had been bent into the ground.

At the time, Cllr Ken Pugh, cabinet member for housing and wellbeing at Swale Borough Council, condemned the vandals.

He said this week: “It’s disappointing to see a club like this being targeted, when they are doing such good work to support the local community.

“I urge anyone who may have any information to report it to the police so we can see the offenders brought to justice.”