THE TRAGIC death of a teenage girl at a football ground should act as a stark warning to youths vandalising Guiseley AFC.

That is the message from the Guiseley club's Chairman, Phil Rogerson, after yet another weekend of vandalism at the Nethermoor Park ground.

Last Saturday morning he faced what has become the usual spate of Friday night damage - a double gate had been smashed through, fence panels kicked out and lots of glass broken.

Mr Rogerson points to the case of 15-year old Kirsty McSweeney, who was killed last week when a slab placed on top of a dugout at a football ground in East Ardsley collapsed.

The dugout was used as a 'hang out' by local youths.

He said: "Local parents should take heed of what has happened at East Ardsley It should serve as a warning to parents and their offspring that a similar tragedy could happen here in Guiseley.

"Our club has been vandalised virtually every week over the past two years and it has cost us hundreds and hundreds of pounds to put things right.

"Let us hope that the cost does not eventually come in the terms of someone's life."

The club also fears that the most recent damage caused in the grounds could be putting its fans and players at risk.

Mr Rogerson said: "There was glass all over the stand, which is usual for a Friday night, but more seriously this time bottles and glasses had been smashed on the pitch surround barrier and there was a lot of glass in the grass on the pitch.

"We cleared it up as best we could but you can never be sure that you have got it all, and a player going into a sliding tackle could end up with a severe injury.

"We don't just have seniors playing on this pitch, we also have an under-19 and an under-17 team playing here.

"During our first team matches we also have youngsters from our junior section as young as six years old taking part in five-a-sides.

"We don't want any of them injured by glass smashed in this way.

"We are a club run by volunteers and they are sick to death of continually having to repair damage caused largely by a group of teenagers fuelled with drink."

Recent attacks by vandals also saw some risk their lives by climbing the club's floodlight pylons, while others smashed into a locked switch box to disable the lighting.

The club also suspects that the culprits may be those responsible for recently causing so much damage at Greenmeadows School that the pupils couldn't safely use their own playground.

Mr Rogerson said efforts had been made to get the vandals involved in the club in a positive way, but to no avail.

"We can only appeal to parents to take more notice of what their youngsters are up to and how it affects others," he said.