Today, the chairman of Whittlesey Junior Football Club's Field of Dreams project pleaded with yobs to keep away and urged the community to report the culprits to police.

The latest incident at the £200,000 football centre saw mesh panelling being torn off in five areas – allowing vandals easy access to the newly-laid pitches, which have recently been seeded and need to be protected. The vandalism happened some time during July 12 or the following day.

It follows another attack at the end of June, when two holes were cut into the fencing, which had cost about £50,000 to install.

The centre, which will have seven new football pitches built on the site of a former brickworks in Stonald Road, Whittlesey, has been targeted before a ball has even been kicked.

Football club chairman Steve Fidler said he may be forced to put in CCTV – which would cost a further £50,000 and be a huge setback for the club, which is a registered charity.

He said: "It will cost about £100 to £200 to repair, but it is also the inconvenience, because the pitches have recently been seeded and it is a critical time for protecting it.

"My concern is having spent £200,000 on the project all for the benefit of the community, people keep breaking into it.

"The pitch could be damaged. There is 11 acres of grassland, and travellers could move on to it."

He added: "A CCTV system has been suggested, but that is difficult and unrealistic. It would mean putting in an electricity supply and would cost about £50,000.

"But it may be a step we have to take, although we would need to do a lot of fund-raising."

"If somebody knows who is causing the damage, please report them to police."

The vandalism was reported to Cambridgeshire police.