A Portavogie football club has warned that recent damage to its council-owned pitch could have seriously injured a child or player and threatens the club's future use of the facility.

Portavogie Rangers FC said cars were driven over the playing surface and bottles were smashed on the pitch on Saturday evening, September 12, at New Harbour Road.

A club spokesperson described the damage and anti-social behaviour as unacceptable, stating that a large group, many not from the village, were on the facility. Broken bottles were left across training and playing areas, creating a danger to users.

The spokesperson said the club has been let down by council and governmental departments for 13 years and is still dealing with the same problems. The damage could result in serious injury and puts the future use of the pitch at risk for senior and youth teams.

The PSNI said they were aware of concerns around anti-social behaviour in Portavogie and attended the incident on Saturday evening, dispersing the crowd. Police said anyone engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour will be dealt with robustly, and public safety is paramount.

Ards and North Down Council said the Tide and Turf food festival held earlier on Saturday in Portavogie attracted thousands of visitors, but the football pitch incident took place away from the festival site and was entirely separate. The council's community safety team will engage with youths through the local football club and Education Authority youth club, developing workshops on the causes and consequences of anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Pete Wray said crowds of up to 80 people gathered at the pitch on Saturday evening, with a car driving on the pitch and people drinking and vandalising the area. He thanked the PSNI for dispersing the crowd quickly and commended volunteers who cleaned up broken glass on Sunday morning.

Alderman Robert Adair expressed disappointment with ongoing anti-social behaviour at the pitch and asked those responsible to consider the negative impact on the community. He called for a coordinated action plan to address the problem, which he described as unacceptable.