FURIOUS Peebles Rovers club officials have blasted vandals over damage and dumped litter at the Alec Lucas Memorial Stand at Whitestone Park. 

Smashed glass, litter, empty bottles and the remains of cigarettes and drugs are just some examples of the mess left at the football ground. 

The dug-outs and windows were also damaged, with seats being ripped out and rude slogans daubed on the windows. 

The stand was re-named in memory of former player Alec Lucas, who died whilst on tour with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan in 2008.

In recent times, the club has had a relaxed attitude towards the use of the stand for recreational purposes and it is a popular venue for teenagers to socialise. 

But online images show what is the latest in a spate of vandalism at the stand. Peebles Rovers chairman, Gerry Rossi, has expressed his sadness and disappointment at the treatment of a ground dedicated to a local hero.

He told the Peeblesshire News: “When I saw the pictures of the damage done, my first thought was ‘here we go again’. 

“It’s absolutely atrocious; it took us an hour to clean up the broken glass.

“I was once their age as well, but we didn’t go about ruining stuff. 

“What really bothers me is the fact that the stand is dedicated to Alec; and these children, who probably have no idea what he did for his country, have absolutely no respect for it.

“Hopefully they’ll one day realise what they’ve done and grow up.”

In a statement on Facebook, Mr Rossi’s son and first-team manager Gerard Rossi said: “To those who continually think it’s ok to vandalise public property, smash glass and then scatter it around the football pitch, leave their rubbish... and, worst of all, leaving their almost finished illegal paraphernalia at the reach of an innocent hand.

“Week after week these idiots continue to get away with what can only be described as a blatant disregard of public property. It’s not a skate park, it’s not a gang hut and it’s certainly no toilet either.”

The stand, which hosts Peebles Rovers home fixtures and football coaching classes for children, has been a meeting place for local teenagers for years. 

Concerns about the behaviour at the stand have been met with criticism from local youngsters, who argue that there is nothing to do in Peebles for their age group, and that the stand is one of few places for them to socialise. Pledges have also been made to clean up any future messes at such gatherings following the emergence of the pictures on Facebook.

Last year, Scottish Borders Council was forced to pay a £500 repair bill after hooligans attempted to set fire to the stand.