Swindon youth football club 'devastated' after arson attack
Thousands of pounds of training and match equipment has been lost
Thousands of pounds worth of equipment at a youth Football Club in Swindon has been damaged in an arson attack.
Swindon Supermarine Youth FC has fallen victim to a shock attack by a group of children.
A small group of three or four children were seen fleeing the scene of two containers on Wednesday afternoon by the clubs groundsman at the Webbswood Stadium Complex.
Club secretary Mike Ash has described the attack as 'mindless vandalism'.
He told Greatest Hits Radio: "We are devastated, it's very upsetting, because we are a voluntary organisation and it's not as if we've got tens of thousands of pounds to replace the equipment that's been lost and damaged.
"At the end of the day, it's all about children, about football and building a pathway for them."
He went on to add that the incident could have been a lot worse as the containers also housed gas cylinders used for barbeques, which could have caused a large explosion had the fire not been put out as quickly as it was.
Local clubs have already offered to lend the Supermarine Youth setup equipment to allow the children to play .
Mike says the fire couldn't have happened at a worse time, with a game at the weekend - but they're determined to get the game on in spite of what has happened.
"We will get the club spick and span again, we will get it ready for the weekend, it's definitely not going to hold us back, if anything it's going to drive us forward," he said.