Damage caused to goal posts at Thruxton playing fields has been condemned as “mindless violence” by the parish council chairman.

In the incident which took place over two nights, between Friday 12 January from 6pm and Saturday 13 January until 11pm, the goal posts which were set in concrete foundations had been pulled out of the ground.

A contractor is due to repair the posts on Saturday, which will cost the sports trust that uses the fields around £400.

Thruxton parish council chairman Charles Milner-Williams said: “We are normally very lucky in Thruxton, we haven’t had any anti-social behaviour for a long time but this has happened over two nights and has been a deliberate targeting of a small football team and trust.

“It has been deliberately wrecked and this Sunday’s match will probably have to be cancelled.

“We were really building up the team again, we did quite well got up from third division to the second division in the Sunday league.

“It is a huge amount of pleasure for an awful lot of people. It is absolutely mindless violence.”

The Three Villages Sports Trust is made up of people from Kimpton, Thruxton and Fyfield who use the playing fields as their home ground, and have their “KTF” team playing in the Sunday morning Sunday league.

Trust chairman Bill Brewer said the repairs will also add steel rodding to the concrete posts to make it more difficult to pull out again.

Sunday’s game is cancelled in order for the posts to be allowed to set properly before being re-used.

Mr Brewer added: “We hope to play next week as long as they don’t come back and do it again, that is our concern so we will have to see- that is why we are putting reinforced steel in.

“The posts were completely out of the ground including the concrete foundations, it takes some efforts to do that it was a very determined piece of vandalism.”

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 quoting crime reference number 44180019659 or alternatively contact PSCO Donna Whelan on donna.whelan@hampshire.pnn.police.uk