VERWOOD Football Club has been hit by vandals again after the club’s sign at the entrance to the Potterne Park pitch was trashed.

Club members found the sign destroyed on Sunday morning before the weekend match.

This vandalism follows a string of incidents. Scores of the club’s 100 supporter seats have been smashed and the pitch has been left without floodlights on more than one occasion.

Verwood FC chairman Steve Jefferis says the club has been blighted by “petty acts of mindless vandalism” over the years.

He said: “We have 100 seats for our supporters at Verwood FC, which we have worked very hard for to pay for them ourselves and many of them have been smashed in acts of petty, mindless vandalism. We have also had our floodlights smashed.

“It is frustrating for the club and disappointing that people are targeting the club in this way. However, we are very resilient and will not be beaten. We will do what we continue to do.”

Mr Jefferis asked anyone with information to contact the police on 101.

Operation Keeper was launched in July last year to crack down on anti-social behaviour by introducing a Section 30 dispersal order to remove troublesome teenagers.

The police and East Dorset District Council agreed to flex their legal powers following increasing reports of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in Verwood and Potterne Park.

Under Section 30 of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003, police can remove anyone under the age of 16 after 9pm at night and take them home.

And in August this year, Dorset Police stepped up their efforts once again to deal with antisocial behaviour in the area – by agreeing the use of dispersal powers.