ONLY hours before Kingsteignton Bowling Club held a dinner to celebrate winning the Mid-Devon League Division One, on Saturday, vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to its green in Berry Lane.
They targeted the green, wielding a scaffolding pole, believed to be stolen from a construction site in Crossley Moor Road, to puncture and rip the artificial surface.
When members arrived on Saturday they discovered around 40 divots, with one corner particularly badly damaged, with one-and-a-half to two-inch rips in the woven material in numerous places.
A neighbour informed them she had seen some lads there between 2.15 and 2.40am and told them to go away.
In Greenhill Road a telephone box was also smashed.
Selwyn Barnes, the club secretary, said on Saturday night they were celebrating a very successful season, but sadly all the talk centred around the mindless vandalism to the green.
'People have worked very hard to look after the bowling green and are very proud of it. It is heartbreaking to see this pointless damage,' said Mr Barnes.
The local authority put the green down in 1985, after which it was the club's responsibility for the renewal of the bowling carpet, and when it was replaced four years ago it cost £27,000.
Mr Barnes said there were four rinks. One had escaped damage, one was considerably damaged, and the others were damaged.
'The green is in 10 sections. With inflation, one section would probably cost about £3,000 nowadays. As yet we do not know the cost of repairs. I have been on to the manufacturers and they have said they will need to send someone down to look at it.
'We are insured, but there is a £250 excess on our policy,' said Mr Barnes.
With the summer season finished there is no competitive bowling on the green, but the club has a very successful winter category membership from October through to the end of March.
Newton Abbot police are appealing to anyone who has any information about those responsible for the vandalism, any witnesses, or anyone who saw the scaffolding pole being carried to or from the bowling green, to contact them.