Vandals have left a Perthshire football team’s pitch badly damaged for the second time in two months after carving up the grass with vehicles.
Rattray AFC found deep tyre marks imprinted on the playing surface at Davie Park on Monday morning forcing them to issue a plea for information.
It is the second time the club has been targeted since they were able to return for the season after the Covid-19 shutdown.
The amateur outfit was also left frustrated in November after a similar incident where a motor vehicle appeared to have driven across the pitch repeatedly.
The vandalism has been described as “demoralising” for the footballers and for a number of other sports teams which play at the park in the centre of the village.
Caroline Shiers, Conservative councillor for Blairgowrie and the Glens, slammed the actions as “completely unacceptable”.
She urged anyone with information to contact the police on 101.
“I have notified council officers and asked for action to secure the pitches to prevent a repeat of this,” she said.
“It is so demoralising for all those involved in football at Davie Park and completely unacceptable behaviour.”
Ms Shiers also raised concerns about a similar incident at a park on Piggy Lane in Blairgowrie.
Rattray locals were also left outraged after a pile of rubbish was dumped at Davie Park outside Rattray AFC’s changing rooms last month.
The mess, which included radiators and tiles, was discovered at the rear of the premises.
Angry residents said the fly-tipping appeared to involve debris left behind after a bathroom renovation.
As well as being home to Rattray AFC, the park is popular with families and dog-walkers as well as other sports teams. It boasts a children’s play area and two football pitches.
The Rattray incident is the latest in a spate of football pitches to be vandalised across Tayside and Fife.
In October Jeanfield Swifts in Perth were targeted when petrolheads carved up their pitch on Bute Drive forcing them out of action for a fortnight shortly after returning from lockdown.
In January boy racers were slammed for churning up football pitches in Angus.
Long sweeping tyre tracks were left scored into the grass at Victoria Park in Arbroath by anti-social drivers, rendering parts of the surface unplayable.
