Council and football club president calls to look out for vandalism after Wembley Park football pitch damaged by motorbike

Damage to No 1 pitch at Wembley Park by motorbike, photographed on Wednesday, December 21. Photo / Bevan Conley

One of Wembley Park’s football pitches has been damaged with tyre tracks visible across the turf.

A Whanganui District Council spokesperson said the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon.

Council contractors have inspected the grounds and said there was only minor surface damage to the pitch, and no repairs would be necessary.

Marist Football Club president Russel Eades was relieved the grounds were not too wet as the damage to the pitch could have been much worse.

“[It was a] good thing it’s not so wet so they’re not doing as much damage which is good,” he said.

Incidents like this happened from time to time at the park, Eades said.

“A lot of it’s stopped with our knee breaker fencing which stops people from getting onto the pitch, but they somehow managed to get through and put the hammer down and away they went.”

Both Eades and the council advocated that if members of the public see acts of vandalism occur at the park, to call the police.

“It’s always disappointing that people choose to damage public property whether it be graffiti or damaging facilities,” the council said.

A police spokesperson said they had received no calls regarding the incident.