"MINDLESS idiots" have been blamed for wrecking Over Stowey's cricket pitch just hours after volunteers spent an entire weekend upgrading facilities in preparation for the new season. Joy-riding vandals rampaged across the club's ground and wicket on Monday night, destroying hours of work and forcing the following night's youth practice to be cancelled. Chunks were carved out of the pitch and it was criss-crossed with tyre tracks Club chairman Ashley Easden said: "This is unbelievable. All the work we have done over the weekend has been ruined by a mindless idiot. "In all the years I have been associated with the village and the club I have never known anything like this. "We do a lot for the community and especially helping and developing youth cricket and I know we had some disappointed boys and girls as a result of this." Many youngsters had turned up for youth practice expecting to see the results of a weekend of hard work, only to be greeted by a site of sheer devastation. Club supporters had spent the weekend before the attack taking part in a 'Cricket Force' challenge, laying down hardcore for the cricket nets, putting up new fencing, carrying out routine maintenance to the pavilion, helping the groundsman prepare for the new season and signing new players. But all that was ruined by Monday night's attack and members are now being forced to give up even more of their time in a bid to get the ground ready for the cricket season in two weeks' time. Club press officer Mark Sells said everyone associated with the group was extremely angry. "We had spent all weekend getting the ground and its facilities up to scratch for the start of the new season. "But because of what has happened, a lot more man hours will be needed to get everything right for the first game." Perhaps the most devastated of all club supporters was groundsman Mark Sortwell who was "gutted" by what had happened. He said: "All the years I have been doing the ground I have never had any problems whatsoever. "I put a lot of my own time into looking after the pitch and I am extremely gutted." The club is planning to hold another 'Cricket Force' event later this month. Anyone with information about the attack should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.