YOUTHS have damaged a community centre in Farnworth this morning while starting a fire in its grounds.

Firefighters and police were called to New Bury Community Learning Centre at 11.15am after a small fire was lit on the football pitch.

They found that youths had pulled fibreboard cladding off part of the fencing around the pitch to build the bonfire in the middle of a goalmouth.

Carl Gleaves, crew manager at Bolton Central, said there were a number of young people at the scene but when the emergency services arrived some ran off.

He added: “The police told us they had had problems like this in the place before.

“They ripped off the MDF which obviously spoils the place for everyone else really. The fact the fire was in the goal mouth makes it worse as it could have spread quite quickly.

“There is plenty of CCTV around so the police hope to use it to find out who did this.”

Crews put out the fire and made the area safe.

A resident living in Barton Road, who did not wished to be named, was outside when they saw the fire. They believe there is a problem with young people vandalising the football pitches, which are locked up at the weekends.

He said: “There was about eight of them there. I was across the road at the time helping a friends when all of a sudden we saw smoke rising over the fence.

“It’s a common thing with yobs smashing the panels around the field. It has been going on for years. It’s been reported over the years but nothing happens.

“The issue is well known to the police and it’s caused problems for the club.”

However, Paula Byrne, who also lives near the centre and is a community littler picker, said fires were not a common occurrence in the area but something needed to be done to help engage local youngsters.

She added: “The problem is boredom. That youth club needs to be open at weekends but because it’s part of Bolton College it’s not ­– which I understand.

“When the football pitches were locked up there was nothing else for them to do. That’s why you get a lot of bikes and racing around.

“I think there should be a youth club at the weekend. They are just bored and there is nothing for them so that’s why they are doing what they do.”