POLICE are examining debris left after a vandals targeted a community sports field looking for DNA they hope will lead them to the culprits.

Drunken youths are believed to have been responsible for the rampage, which caused an estimated £1,000-worth of damage at the former Colliery Welfare Grounds, at Park Cottage, Wingate, east Durham.

Shower and kitchen units and a toilet were smashed, shelves were pulled down, food was littered around the club house and graffiti was daubed on walls.

It is the third break-in at the clubhouse in the past year and came only weeks after Wingate parish council spent £50,000 on improvements to facilities, including added security fencing at the park.

Police are investigating the latest incident, examining DNA taken from empty lager cans and cigarette ends found among the debris. Parish council chairman Robert Taylor plans to call a meeting to discuss the problem.

"The grounds are a little bit out of the way and tend to attract some of the younger element on a night. We want to bring together the police, the district council and maybe the park keeper to see what can be done.

"We had a fantastic response in the village recently when there was a threat of a landfill site being developed and, if we could attract just a proportion of the interest that aroused, it might help to get something done.

"I suppose you can never fully prevent these things happening, but we might be able to get it under control."

The meeting is expected to be held at the village community centre or school, but may not take place until after the county council and general elections, early next month.