Rugby club devastated by flooding and vandalism

The pitches at Bishop Auckland RUFC were flooded

Rugby club players were heartbroken when their pitches were flooded and then seemingly targeted by vandals.

The grounds of Bishop Auckland RUFC were submerged last week after persistent rain saw the River Wear overtop. Days later, players then discovered the pitches appeared to have been damaged by an off-road vehicle.

General manager Steven Jones said players were devastated and the clean-up operation would be "absolutely massive".

The community response to a £15,000 fundraiser for recovery work, pitch remediation, equipment replacement and temporary training venues had been "phenomenal", the club said.

Mr Jones told BBC Radio Tees the water on the rugby club's pitches and training grounds had been knee-deep.

Gwyn Evans, who leads the mini junior teams, said 250 kids and the senior men and women had "effectively lost their home overnight".

The water had started to drain away, but it had also brought up debris which made the pitches unsafe.

On Friday morning, the club then discovered the soft surface of the pitches had been ripped.

They believe vandals got onto the grounds with a quad bike.

"That's an even deeper problem," Mr Jones said.

'Rough week'

"It was heartbreaking, just standing there looking," he said.

He estimated it would take more than six weeks to make the area safe to use.

More than £7,000 was raised in a matter of days to boost the efforts, including by parents, schools and neighbouring clubs.

The club is having to hire pitches so players can continue to train and play until the flood damage is repaired.

Mr Evans said nearby King James Academy had gifted the club free 3G pitch space until Christmas, which would accommodate some of the younger teams.

The club said it planned to clear the pitch as much as possible before bringing in professional workers.

"We've had a very rough week, but we'll get by as we always do," Mr Jones said.

"Hopefully we'll get back to normal soon with a bit of help."