HUNDREDS of pounds of damage has been caused to a bowls club that was ransacked on Saturday night in Ramsbury.

It took ten club members from Ramsbury & Aldbourne Bowling Club four hours to clean up the destruction caused over night between Saturday and Sunday after glasses were smashed, tables turned and rubbish strewn across the floor.

The destruction was discovered by a club member who went to the club to mow the lawn on Sunday morning. The fence around the grounds had been cut and two doors had the locks broken.

Keith Evill, president of the club, from the High Street, said: “The feeling among members has been disgust.

“It was an absolute mess. They cut some chain links and forced the wire open. They broke in through the doors and trashed the inside. They threw the vacuum cleaner across the room, they threw the chairs everywhere and they smashed a lot of the glasses.

“There was glass in every single room, even the toilets. They must have just opened the door and thrown glasses into the toilets.

“It is difficult to see what sort of satisfaction anyone can get from that.

“We don’t have CCTV but we will be fitting cameras now, it seems the only way to stop this. We could put bars on the windows but it would seem like a prison and that wouldn’t sotp anyone breaking the door again."

Club member Sara Tiplady added: “I have only been a member for two months but it is my life. Some of the members who have been there for 40 or 50 years in some cases you could see the look on their faces they were really upset.”

The incident has been reported to police, and a spokesman said: "We received a report of a break in at Ramsbury Recreation Ground in Hilldrop Lane, sometime between 6pm on 16 June and 8.30am on 17 June. Damage was caused to a door and some furniture.

"Any witnesses should call police on 101 quoting crime reference number 54180054839."