A COMMUNITY has rallied together after a spate of vandalism in a village.

Duddon Road in Askam was targeted by vandals on Tuesday night after a bin, bench and football grounds were all discovered in disrepair.

The bench, which is a popular meeting point for elderly people, was left unusable after vandals tore apart the bottom part of the seat.

As well as this, the bin was removed from its position and the gate protecting Askam United Football Club was pushed over.

Sean Hagan, chairman of Askam United FC, said if incidents like these continue, the club may consider locking its doors to all residents who want to use the area.

He said: “We are a very tight knit community in Askam and I’d like to think we all know what’s right and wrong so it’s frustrating to see this happen.

“It’s easy to automatically point the finger at kids but I wouldn’t accept any teenager or young adult would be stupid enough to do something like this. It’s not just one of two people this has affected, it’s the whole community. I know there are two or three elderly ladies, one of which uses walking sticks, who regularly go down to sit on that bench.

“That walk could be the highlight of their day, especially in these circumstances.

“It’s sad that someone has gone out their way to cause this much damage when we’re trying out best to make improvements at the club in lockdown.

“If incidents like this continue, we may consider rethinking allowing access which we don’t want to do.

“We can’t let a small minority of idiots wreck it for everyone who use the area sensibly and are respectful.”

Since news of the vandalism, the Askam community has rallied together, with plans already in place to help restore the bench.

Mr Hagan said: “The brunt of the damage is on Duddon Road and it’s great to see someone is already looking at repairing the bench to use again.

“This is what Askam is like - there are countless volunteers asking to help out with repairs which is just a reminder of how good the whole community is."