Football club counts cost of 'mindless' vandalism

Vandals who caused hundreds of pounds of damage to an East Sussex football club have been described as "mindless".

Rye Bay FC said pitch-marking paint had been spread across playing surfaces, while equipment and a storage shed was damaged.

Replacing the shed, which had had its door ripped off, and the line paint would cost around £1,000.

Kaye Lax, chair and a coach at the non-profit club, told BBC Radio Sussex she was "absolutely gutted" by the "mindless" vandalism.

Rye Bay Football Club was formed in 1996 and was originally known as Winchelsea Beach Football Club.

It runs several children's teams from the under-7s to the under-15s.

The "little rural" team was already "struggling" before the damage to their weekly training ground at Rye College, said Ms Lax.

However, she said they were "incredibly grateful" for the support they had received from the community following the incident.

"We don’t have funds to replace things," the club said in a post on its GoFundMe page.

It said it was "genuinely gutted that certain individuals show zero respect for our property that is purely to help develop young people in a fun environment".

The club says it is proud of the large number of children that have enjoyed their first experience of football.

It said: "Many players have continued to play football, many within the local district all applying skills that were first acquired at this club."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.