30107/1A RURAL community near Warminster has been rocked by an escalating two-year vendetta against its cricket club.

The latest attack on Sunday evening caused more than £10,000 worth of damage at Corsley Cricket Club.

Vandals tore through the expensive artificial pitch and dug deep holes in the cricket square.

Over the past two years offenders have broken into the pavilion, smashed windows and ripped down football goal posts.

But the attack on Sunday was by far the most serious and police are now stepping up efforts to catch those responsible.

Cricket club chairman David Johnson, 58, said he has been devastated by the attack.

"We have been doing a lot of work getting ready for the start of the season in April," he said.

"The artificial pitch is very expensive and the people that did this have made a concerted effort to do a lot of damage.

"This is a lovely little village and this has really spoilt the atmosphere around here."

The cricket club is based at Corsley Memorial Playing Field in the centre of the village. It is funded and run by local people and receives no help from the council.

Mr Johnson said this latest attack has affected the whole community.

"A lot of people have

spent a lot of time raising money to go towards this cricket club and I'm sure the people who did this

don't think about the consequences of their actions," he said.

"But this is very serious criminal damage and it needs to stop.

"We know that kids can sometimes get bored of village life but that is not an excuse."

Sgt Ray Lewis, of Warminster Police, said: "I can't imagine what benefit the offender would get out of a such a pointless act but their actions have had such a detrimental effect on the people of the village."