VANDALS have outraged sports players by destroying the protection to their artificial pitch.

Eighty confier trees planted as wind cover for the pitches at Kirkby Stephen have been uprooted and broken.

Matthew Hutchinson, of Church Brough, who organises one of the football teams which play on the pitches, said: "The pitches can feel exposed and it becomes a bit cold for some of the spectators.

The trees were seen as a long-term solution to this problem, but now we're back at square one."

Gary Payton, PE teacher at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, told the Gazette: "This is an bewildering act that shows the immaturity of the people involved.

Kirkby Stephen has been able to boast a variety of sports teams because of these pitches.

However, there is always the odd character who feels that his only contribution to the town is to destroy something."

Deputy head teacher Neil Highet confirmed that this was the second time that the trees had been damaged: "I can understand the feelings of the sport people.

It very distressing that this had happened on school property."

Plans to replace the trees are being looked into.