Buildings and vehicles damaged in vandalism spree at weekend

Police are investigating after the Bridport Rugby Club pavilion was broken into at some point between the evening of Friday, May 21 and the morning of Sunday, May 23.

Much of the equipment damaged is used by young players.

At Bridport Rugby Club off Skilling Hill Road, wooden boards which cover the windows at the pavilion were torn off and the windows were smashed.

A substantial amount of equipment was then damaged as wooden sterilisation points - created to reduce the spread of Covid-19 during games and training - were smashed and a number of tackle bags were sliced open and destroyed.

The club's coaches arrived to discover the wreckage on Sunday morning and were 'astonished' and 'angry' at what they saw.

Noel Gregory, junior rugby chairman at Bridport Rugby Club, said: "It is absolutely appalling behaviour.

"When we opened the door on Sunday we were astonished and angry. It is so disappointing, why would they do this?

"What is the point? What is the gain of doing this? It’s futile, there is nothing beneficial to any of them, just reckless damage."

He added: "We have around 200 children at the club as young as six-years-old and it is dangerous to have this happening at the club."

Bridport Rugby Club's boarded up windows were broken into

Mr Gregory said that there had been young people using an open shed with no doors to socialise in recent weeks. They were taking the club's benches down to the shed to sit on – but when the coaches found broken bottles, foil wraps and even needles in the shed - they moved the benches into the pavilion.

However there is nothing linking the people who were visiting the ground with the criminal damage, and police are continuing to search for the offenders.

Mr Gregory said: “About a fortnight ago we realised a group of youngsters were hanging out in the shed - presumably just trying to get out of the rain.

"When we found broken bottles, foil wraps and needles we decided to move the benches."

He added: "Criminal damage has been caused and we've had to report it to the police.

"It’s the last thing we need. We are low on funds and this is all a financial cost to us. These are all costs a community run club can not avoid."

Police are making enquiries into the incident and no arrests have been made at this stage.

Dorset Police has also confirmed that local officers from the neighbourhood policing team will be carrying out increased patrols in the area.

In a separate criminal damage incident overnight on Sunday, yobs smashed the windows of parked cars in Abbotsbury.

Several vehicles were damaged, with two windows being smashed on a van parked in Rodden Row.

The smashed window of a van in Abbotsbury Picture: Chloe-Jane Keefe-Barton

There were also reports of car windows being smashed in Market Street and Glebe Close.

Police are making enquiries into the incident and no arrests have been made at this stage