A FOOTBALL pitch which is used by hundreds of youngsters has been vandalised by a car driving across the grass.

The pitch at Homer Hill Park in Halesowen has been left with deep tyre tracks sprawled across the grass caused by a car carrying out manoeuvres on the field.

It is believed the damage was caused by a Land Rover mounting the grass and driving over the pitch on Saturday night (October 26).

The park is home to Halas Hawks Junior FC with the majority of the younger teams, aged between six and ten-years-old, making use of the pitch each week.

All of Sunday's games were called off due to the damage, as tracks measuring over four inches deep left the pitch in a dangerous condition.

The damage was exacerbated by heavy rain over the weekend.

Bob Hickman, club secretary of Halas Hawks, which is the largest junior club in the borough, said: "Over a 100 kids didn't get a game of football yesterday.

"We have about 20 teams who use the park as their home ground and it is very difficult to explain to six-year-old children why they can no longer use their pitch and have to play all of their games away."

The car is believed to have gained access to the pitch via Benjamin Drive, a road that cuts through the park.

Bob said that although incidents like this have happened before, the damage is unprecedented in its scale.

He said: "The only thing I can see is they need more bollards to stop these kinds of vehicles."

The club has contacted Dudley Council who run the park to ask for emergency repairs to be carried out, but the teams face the uncertainty of finding an alternative pitch until the site is fixed.

Bob added: "All the teams will have to play away. People have offered to help but it could take days even with an army of volunteers."

Councillor Richard Body, who is chair of the Friends of Homer Hill Park, branded the vandalism as 'senseless'.

He said: "It's dreadful, there's absolutely no reason to do it. Absolute idiots will ruin it for everyone else.

"If anybody has any information at all please do get in touch."

He is calling for an automated barrier to be placed on Benjamin Drive so the road can only be used for people visiting the nearby Lime Gardens supported accommodation in a bid to reduce the road access to the park.

He added: "It's the only park in the Dudley borough where there is a through road going through the middle of the open green public space."

Councillor Body says he has contacted Dudley Council green care team and it is hoped repairs will begin this week.