A football club may kick out plans to invest in its ground if it continues to be the target of repeated acts of wanton vandalism.

Not for the first time, Northern League's Seaham Redstar, in east Durham, were on the brink of cancelling a game at the weekend after louts littered their pitch with glass and debris.

Club Secretary Brian Mayhew said the pitch in the town's Seaham Park had been the target for vandals for several years, and last weekend had suffered another onslaught.

"We had an early game on Saturday, and when we got to the pitch we were greeted with a mess of broken bottles and guttering ripped from the stand," said Mr Mayhew.

He said the team were lying mid-table in the first division of the Northern League.

"It is difficult enough running the team without facing these acts of vandalism every week," he said.

He said the irony was that some of the youngsters who were causing the trouble were the ones who, in years to come, would be seeking a place on the team.

He said the club had received a grant, which it had planned to spend on new safety barriers and better hard standing.

"But with so much vandalism taking place we are thinking again. What is the point of throwing good money after bad," he said.

Seaham police confirmed there had been acts of vandalism on both the football and cricket pitches, in the park.

In the short-term, police patrols would be stepped up in the area, and in the long-term, it was planned to address the problem through a joint community approach, he said.

At Seaham Town Council, which is in charge of the public grounds, parks manager Mike Preston said some counter measures, such as closed-circuit television, had already been introduced.

But he stressed that his authority was looking to achieve a positive solution, by working alongside other agencies including young people's representatives.

Asking for the community's help to keep an eye on the area and to report any problems, Mr Preston said: "This is everyone's responsibility."