ALCOHOL-fuelled vandals have left a trail of destruction at a Ramsbottom soccer club.

They caused up to £500 worth of damage after targeting Ramsbottom United's Riverside ground.

They snapped a fibre glass flagpole, broke a number of panels and damaged plastic dug-out windows.

Now, club officials are faced with forking out the money to have all the damage repaired.

Mr Malcolm Holt, secretary of the North West Counties League club, said: "The flagpole they snapped was on top of the stand and that will cost us £200 alone to replace. Behind the stand we've got panels which go down the side of the riverbank. Fifteen of these have been smashed. The vandals also targeted some plastic windows in one of our dug-outs.

"We've had some vandalism in the past, but nothing to this extent. These kids have been shifted off Ramsbottom station and it's obvious they have been drinking. We found a three-litre bottle of cider and a bottle of Jack Daniels on our premises."

He added: "They're coming to our stand and having a bit of a booze-up. We don't mind that, as long as they don't do any damage."

The vandals also tried to reach 300 seats from Manchester City's former Maine Road ground which are protected by a large and heavy tarpaulin.

"We're going to have to do all the repairs ourselves," Mr Holt said. "We'll have to go to builders merchants to get prices and then do everything on our own. We won't be paying anybody. The repairs are going to be time-consuming."