Worthing United FC 'trashed and flooded by youths'

Mark Sanderson had to pay for a specialist cleaner to deep clean the clubhouse at Worthing United FC after the youngsters broke in and "made burgers and chips" using the ground's deep fat fryers.

The furious chairman told The Argus: "I am up there every Saturday to prepare the pitch for that day’s match.

"However we were rained off and the match was postponed."

Previous vandalism at the team's dugouts (Image: Worthing United Football Club)

But when one of the groundsmen turned up on Monday to meet an electrician, they noticed the door to one of the club's buildings was open.

"He looked inside and it was flooded, the deep fat fryers were on and it was trashed," said Mark.

The ground in Lyons Way, Worthing, is tucked away from the rest of the town bordering the South Downs.

Read more: Football club 'distraught' after burst pipe makes ceiling collapse

Mark added: "It is a problem we have always faced. We're tucked out the way and it's very picturesque.

"It's an ideal venue in an evening to go with a few cans of beer and hang around."

"But these guys breaking in - I guess they had been doing burgers and chips. It's more than a nuisance. 

"We had to pay cleaners to deep clean the place, and worse it could have caught fire. It's already a struggle to make ends meet financially, especially in recent weeks where we've had no games with all the rain.

"Any additional expense is extremely unwelcome."

In May this year chairman Mark spoke out against the "mindless" vandalism at the ground after a dugout wall was kicked over and broken glass was left on the pitch.

Sussex Police said they are investigating a report of burglary and criminal damage at the football club.

A spokesman said: "The incident happened between 4.20pm and 4.50pm on October 28.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to report it to Sussex Police online or call 101 and quote serial 1175 of 05/11."