Vandals paint swastika on Northland sports stadium

Ground staff have painted out about 10 slogans, including a swastika, at Toll Stadium in Whangarei where the Warriors meet the Burleigh Bears in a pre-season game tonight.

Vandals got onto the ground overnight and left their handiwork over about a third of the stadium grounds, said stadium manager John Lynch.

"There was nine or 10 different markings over about a third of the field. It was spasmodic, no damage to the field.

"There was a swastika which is unfortunate that some young thugs still do offensive things like that.

"It is two or three people who try to ruin it for thousands of others."

Mr Lynch said the marks had been painted over and the "weather gods were smiling" for the Warriors game tonight.

He said about 5000 tickets had been sold and they expected a crowd of about 10,000 at the Okara Drive stadium.

- NZPA