Senseless trespassers have wrecked a specially-designed children's football pitch causing £10,000 of damage.

A group of trespassers climbed the 8ft fences into BTC Southampton Football Club's Under 11s pitch on Stoneham Lane and played a match in the rain.

The pitch had been being prepared since April.

Chairman Damon Brown said: "We are all absolutely devastated about this. The pitch was specially designed for the children and there has only been one game played on it.

"Now it is wrecked. It is so bad we might not be able to play on the pitch until next Spring."

Hampshire police said they are trying to trace the group of eight people who trespassed into the ground on Friday afternoon.