A Bradford community centre has had hundred of pounds of damage caused by vandals who have ripped up and stolen a section of the centre's decking.

The damage took place at the Sandale Community Centre in Woodside in the early hours of Tuesday.

THe vandals also smashed a spotlight at the centre.

Shannon Worsley, from the Sandale Trust, said: “There is now a big hole where our decking used to be. This space is regularly used by our youth clubs and now it’s just not safe. We are going to have to cancel all our youth activities .

“As a registered charity we operate on a shoe-string budget. Our youth work gives some less fortunate young people a place to go and proactive things to do. Not being able to run our youth clubs because of this damage is a real blow to the community.”

“What’s more, we have been saving all year to raise money to fund a summer programme that will give the young people we work with a range of fun activities to do over the summer holidays. If instead we have to shoulder the expense of repairs and replacement of the missing decking to make our centre useable again, it means we can’t afford to run our planned activities. In the end, it’s the area’s young people who lose out.

“It takes selfish thieves just minutes to jeopardise a whole summer.”

The Trust is asking anyone with information to contact police by calling 101.