A CRICKET club building has been wrecked by fire, causing damage estimated at about £6,000. The wooden structure in the grounds of Frindsbury Cricket Club, near Strood, was set alight by vandals.

The building contained lawnmowers and cricket rollers. The vandals smashed four windows in the main cricket club and broke some of the fencing. Club groundsman John Dudgeon said: "We have suffered vandalism before, but this is by far the worst. We have never had an arson attack before.

"We are very angry. The vandals do not gain anything from this. It's just criminal damage and I cannot see the mentality of doing it."

Leading fireman Eric Pope said: "The main building is just a few feet away and the fire could very easily have spread. The wooden building will be no use for anything now and will have to be pulled down."