VANDALS have forced a successful tennis club to temporarily close after smashing dozens of beer, wine and spirit  bottles across its courts.

Dismayed coaches arrived at Bishop Auckland Tennis and Bowls Club on Saturday morning to find the glass had been crushed into the all-weather surface as well as around the pavillion - which also had drainpipes ripped from its walls.

An industrial cleaner must now be brought in to make the playing surface safe. The club is not expected to re-open until Tuesday at the earliest.

Coach Keith Greenwell said: “We arrived expecting a good day of tennis but instead we are turning people away because of the damage.

“It is heart breaking, and after 40 years of doing this you do feel like saying 'Why bother any more?'

“But we have a lot of very good people coming here, including a lot of children, and we do it for them.”

The club has suffered vandalism problems before which led to the installation of shutters on the pavilion.

Mr Greenwell said that without the shutters, Friday night’s vandals would probably have smashed all the windows as well.

He said: “We know people come here to drink and we can deal with clearing away their empty bottles and cans in the morning, but this is just totally unacceptable.”

The coach said Bishop Auckland is a successful club with teams competing and winning in regional leagues.

Around 30 children are regular players and members range in age up to their 70s.

Instead of a busy day of tennis in the May sun, the club must remain closed until Mr Greenwell can arrange with  Durham County Council to clear up the shards.

He said: “These bottles have been crushed as if to make it impossible to clean up.

“We need a proper cleaning team to do it, it’s just too dangerous for us to attempt.”

Acting Sergeant Vicky Coxon from the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Policing team said anti-social behaviour in the recreation ground area is a policing priority with extra patrols being made.

For more information on police activity in the area, visit the next Police and Community Together (Pact) meeting being held at the community cafe opposite King James I Community Arts College at 6.30pm on Wednesday, June 12.