VANDALISM and the foot-and-mouth restrictions have driven members of a cricket club to the point of despair.

John Pratt, of Hunwick Cricket Club, near Crook, County Durham, said: "Because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, we have been unable to visit the ground, but when we did we found the outside of our cricket pavilion had been damaged by fire and two paving stones had been thrown through windows. Furthermore, we can't have the field cut because of the foot-and-mouth situation."

But after discussions with Maff, Wear Valley District Council and the county council, the club has been granted permission to do repairs to the pavilion and add an extension

Read more about Foot-and-Mouth here.