CONCERNS have been raised over the spate of vandalism across New Cumnock with residents being urged to report incidents to the police.

A football club who put their match day nets up for children to use have been left disgusted to find vandals had slashed them.

Glenafton Amateurs erected the nets to give kids a chance to go for a kick about after lockdown, but the fun was cut short when the nets were targeted.

A source at the club who did not wish to be named told the Chronicle: “We put the nets up for after lockdown for younger ones to go and use them, kicking the ball into a net is a lot better than it just going away.

“They have been constantly slashed – they are at the stage now where they are beyond repair.

“We cable tied them together after the second time it was done.

“When we returned last week, it was the final straw and they were halved in two.

“They were the nets we’d use on a match day – we don’t have any now. There’s a cost to all of this as well.”

“We’ve got CCTV cameras but nothing pointing on to the field where the nets are.”

The Chronicle understands that nets at the running track in the village were also slashed down the middle this time on 7-a-side smaller goals.

Vandals have also been leaving their mark at other locations throughout New Cumnock, which is raising concerns.

In July a part of Burns Cairn was set on fire, and graffiti sprayed over an information board at the New Cumnock Heritage trail.

A World War One memorial bench was also targeted with Black Lives Matter allegedly engraved onto it.

The source added: “There’s been a lot of vandalism over the last couple of months it’s a joke.

“You try and do stuff for the village and this is what happens.

“It’s a disgrace when you hear about it, there was a World War One memorial, they engraved BLM into it. Another noticeboard has KKK sprayed on it.”

Police have urged residents to report vandalism after they have been left in the dark over a rise of incidents.

Locality Policing Team Inspector Christine Boyd said: “Local officers have not been made aware of any recent issues surrounding vandalism in the New Cumnock area.

“I would encourage those who may have become a victim of crime or who have any concerns in their community to contact their local policing team by calling 101.”