VANDALS have yet again targeted an historic bowls club, leaving the dedicated members at the end of their tether.

Intruders climbed over the boundary wall and kicked in the entrance door and the ladies' toilets door at The Panel, based at The Red Lion Bowling Green in Wigan Road, Westhoughton, some time over the weekend.

They also littered the stands with cannabis snap bags and played football on the green.

Ian Foster, an ex-committee member, said: "It's wanton vandalism.

"There's been an increase over the past three years.

"The weekend seems to be the most popular time, but really there's no day when we don't arrive and the first thing everybody does is look in the canteen for damage.

"We have even left a sign on the wall saying: 'We have no issue with you coming in to keep warm, but please respect the place'.

"We have had some support from the police but it has ultimately petered out. They have been here on just one occasion."

Three people are thought to have seen or heard 15 youths congregating at the club on Sunday and rang police, but received no response.

Continual repairs are eroding The Panel's limited funds against the backdrop of declining interest in the sport and heavy maintenance costs in the face of a severe winter and year-round use.

Mr Foster said: "The feeling is we're all rather despondent. We have even thought of erecting a fence around to deter the vandals but it would nearly wipe out our funds and we feel it would almost be a red rag to a bull and be seen as a challenge by them."

The Panel, officially the Lancashire Professional Bowls Association, plays with a unique set of rules and has hosted crown green bowling for more than a century, with The Red Lion Bowling Green being its permanent home for the past 14 years.

Registered players from an invitation-only pool of talent play one-on-one matches for cash winnings on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays.

Spectators can bet on the outcome of each extended '31-up' format contest via bookmakers in the stands.

Bowlers come from as far as Yorkshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire to compete and in its heyday thousands of spectators would descend on The Panel to watch the sport's best players battle it out for big money prizes.

Mr Foster said: "It's been a great Northern tradition which has lasted over 100 years and we get these vandals coming and ruining it for us. It's like a kick in the teeth.

"Lots of this vandalism is an unnecessary waste of funds that we can only stand for so long.

"If we had to replace the green we would have to close."