MEMBERS of a York cricket club have hit out at car thieves who drove a pickup truck across their newly-laid square.

Groundsman Jerry Dunnington discovered the damage to the ground at Heworth Cricket Club on Sunday.

When he arrived at the club he found deep furrows dug out of the ground and tell-tale tyre tracks. There was damage to the square, which had had work done on it in the autumn to improve play.

A Toyota pick-up truck was also found abandoned. Mr Dunnington reported the damage to North Yorkshire Police.

A force spokeswoman said the truck had been removed by police. She said the vehicle had been taken a grain storage and haulage yard in Main Street, Newton-on-Derwent, near Wilberfoss, on Thursday.

Mr Dunnington, who has tended the Heworth cricket ground for more than 40 years, said: "It's a bit soul destroying, seeing something like this - it's just mindless vandalism.

"We've had occasions in the past when we've had bikes ridden on the ground."

He said sports fields were particularly vulnerable to this type of crime. "The problem for all sports grounds is that they're always open, and vehicles can come in as and when," he said. "So unfortunately, this type of vandalism does tend to occur."

Mr Dunnington said the field was used for junior football during the cricket off-season. "It will work out," he said, speaking about the damage.

"Although the ground is wet, it is fairly firm.

"Given a fortnight's time and some light rolling, the surface will recover - but it does scar it."

Ken Johnson, the club vice-chairman, said more than half of the square had been damaged. "Just over 50 per cent of the square is very badly damaged," he said.

"We have spent £2,000 on it to try to improve the standard of the square, to make it a bit bouncier and quicker.

"We had an expert in, who did a lot of work in the autumn to try to encourage grass growth. We spent a lot of money trying to get it up and running and they've just stuffed us really."

Mr Johnson said: "We'll have to assess the square to see how much money we'll have to spend to get it back to playing standard. It's upsetting."

Police are appealing for anyone who saw suspicious activity around the yard, or saw the pick-up travelling around York, to phone Humberside Police on 0845 6060222.