DRIBBLE all the way through the defence and hit an unstoppable shot past the goalkeeper into the top corner of the goal...

It's every young football player's dream to see the net bulge. But thieves have made sure school soccer stars cannot experience that high by stealing their goal nets.

And now one team each week at Central Lancaster High School is without its footie fix because the school budget won't stretch to replacement nets.

The £50 nets were unhooked from the goal posts at the school in Crag Road, leaving football fanatics scratching their heads.

"We had just had four games going on. The games finished and we took the children back inside to get changed and within half an hour one set of nets had gone," says sports teacher John Palmer.

"It is an extra cost that the school doesn't need. They can't be replaced just yet and it's a shame for the pupils. A game will have to be postponed each week."

Mr Palmer goes on: "The people who do this don't think what inconvenience they are causing and it's not right.

"We already suspect that a team is using our pitch at weekend's without permission and who knows, they may have taken the nets as well."