A man was left stunned after vandals hit him on the head with a tree branch while he was playing a bowls match at Harrogate's Valley Gardens.

John Stakes, 58, was hit by the 15-inch long branch as he played at Harrogate Bowling Club .

He was shocked but not seriously hurt and believes his bowling cap saved him from serious injury.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon when about 40 people were playing on the bowling green

Mr Stakes, whose wife Maureen was playing in a competition with her husband, was shaken by the incident, believed to have involved three teenagers who ran off into nearby woodland.

North Yorkshire Police were called to the bowling green and are investigating the incident.

Club chairman John Simm said: "This is not the first incident we have had, although it is the first time anyone has been hit.

"We have had vandalism and stones thrown when people have been playing."

The green has also been damaged by vandals and, on one occasion, a group rampaged across the green while members were playing bowls.

Despite the latest incident Mr Stakes, who lives in Bradford and travels to the Harrogate club because it's his nearest flat green, eventually resumed his match and along with his wife went on to win the Ashboure trophy, a mixed triples event.

The couple say the incident will not stop them from bowling.

But Mrs Stakes said it had stunned her husband and he spent some time recovering on a grassy banking before resuming the match.