A RUGBY club has once again been targeted by vandals.

They cut through the perimeter fence of Malvern Rugby Club, in Spring Lane, and dismantled the goal posts on the junior pitch.

Director of rugby David Robins and club member Alan Evans discovered the damage along with damage to a scrummaging machine on Thursday, September 13.

Mr Robins said: "Benches had also been thrown onto the first team pitch and lights on the exterior of the clubhouse were smashed."

Mr Robins said the club has been targeted a number of times by vandals since it had moved on to the site six years ago, and said not a year had gone by without something happening.

But he added this was the worse case they had suffered so far.

"It's all very annoying," he said. "This is probably the most serious we have had. It is the inconvenience it causes. Everybody that works over there is doing it for the love of the game. It is taking up people's free time having to make the repairs.

"Malvern Rugby Club has been singled out by the RFU for its work in the community. This has all been done with funds raised internally, as the club gets no help from public funding whatsoever, yet attracts up to 200 healthy youngsters who enjoy the fun and fitness that comes from playing rugby.

"It's a terrible indictment of our society that the positive lead given to our young people should be put under attack from a moronic section of society with a perverted wish to damage the good things that come out of a club such as ours."

A spokesman for South Worcestershire police confirmed the incident and said: "Fencing worth £50 was damaged and two outside lights worth £30 were smashed during the incident which occurred between 8pm on Tuesday, September 11 and 7pm on Thursday, September 13.

"Part of a scrummaging machine worth £50 was taken and a set of rugby posts were also uprooted from the ground."

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity in the area between the given times. Anyone with information should call police on 08457 444 888, quoting 626/S/130907, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.