TEENAGERS destroyed a football club's changing rooms and risked their lives by setting fire to a table during a drinking session.

They were found asleep amid a "bomb site" of debris, beer and cider bottles by Tottington United Football Club chairman Geoff Leach early on Sunday morning (March 17).

The vandals fled, leaving an estimated £3,000 of damage. Now the club is without facilities to play fixtures at the ground this season.

It was the latest in a series of break-ins at St Anne's Field, where earlier in the week officials found gates rammed, and a burnt out vehicle in the car park.

The four youths were discovered at 7am, when Mr Leach was taking his dog for an early walk to the Royds Street ground.

He saw showers and basins ripped from the walls of the home team dressing room. All the windows and light fittings were smashed. Paint had been rollered across the walls.

The youths were found curled up in sleeping bags on the floor in the away team room. An electrical junction box had been smashed, and loose wires were hanging from the wall.

Mr Leach said: "I can't describe the mess they were sleeping in. They had had a proper fire on the table and they had obviously been having a party. "How they did not have a fatal accident I'll never know."

"Neither changing room is fit for use now, both look like a bomb site.

The youths, aged 13 to 14, were given a "rude awakening" by Mr Leach, who was unable to catch them. He is now appealing to parents.

He added: "There had already been break-ins, which I would say have been once a fortnight, with no severe damage done.

"This time they've wrecked it. It is beyond belief. We are trying to give something to the people of Tottington and we're getting treated like this by people I cannot find the words to describe."

Officials are now discussing fixture arrangements with the West Lancashire League, and security precautions with the police.

Inspector Steve Clark, head of Ramsbottom township, said: "We have worked closely with Tottington United over their problems.

"They had similar trouble 18 months ago, when we installed a burglar alarm and the problems stopped immediately.

"We are not blinkered to the problem. We are very supportive of the club because of the work they do with the community. We understand the club is in a remote area and we are discussing the situation with football club officials."

Anyone with information should contact Ramsbottom Police on 0161 856 8121.