A KIDS football club in Cowdenbeath could be fined or even kicked out of the league because of continued vandalism and trouble at their ground.

Hearts of Beath Juniors FC, which has around 100 youngsters aged between five and 18 on their books, have been plagued by anti-social behaviour and claim the police are doing nothing to stop it.

One of the founders, Jillian Carroll, said: "We've got a 25 year lease and it means we have to pay for any damage, as Fife Council will no longer repair the pitches.

"Depending on how bad it is it could be hundreds or thousands of pounds and that's money we don't have.

"If the referee turns up and deems our pitches are not playable because of damage then we can be fined by the league.

"If it continues we could even be kicked out of the league and then we'd have 100 kids with nowhere to play football."

Jillian said they've had "ongoing trouble" since the club moved there in July 2016 and the latest incident was on Sunday afternoon when a local told her that kids were riding a dirt bike on the pitches, which are between King Street and Rowan Terrace.

She told the Times: "I phoned 999 as I was there with my child and I got a mouthful of abuse and was threatened.

"I'd shouted over to a lad that they can't ride on our pitches and if they cause any damage we have to pay for it and he said 'So what?'

"A girl of about 17 then said 'Who do you think you're talking to?' and told me she was going to kick my head in.

"The operator said to stay there as the police would soon be with me but I sat in my car for 20-25 minutes and no-one turned up."

Jillian said: "We've had signs damaged, a gate kicked down, people on the roof of the changing rooms, we've constantly got people riding quad bikes and motorbikes on our pitches.

"There are broken bottles at the steps out front of the changing rooms as it's quite hidden and they stay there and drink.

"We have to constantly check the pitches for broken glass or dog poo before we train or play.

"We've found drugs at the cabin, we've found a pipe and a packet with drugs in it that we handed into Cowdenbeath Police Station which they never got back to us about.

"I caught a guy drug dealing in the car park and chased him out. I gave the car registration details to the police but I never heard anything about that either.

"They constantly promise they'll add us to their patrols but we've never seen them."

She continued: "I think it's absolutely ridiculous. I know they are stretched but we've got a police station two minutes drive away from our pitches.

"We're a community-based football club and there are kids riding motorbikes that are unlicensed on our pitches. I'd hate to think what could happen if any of them were knocked down or get injured while on a bike as they're all young kids and they all want a shot.

"But the police just don't seem to be interested, it's almost like it's too much paperwork as they know nothing will happen to the kids anyway.

"One of the kids even told me 'I don't care if you call the police, they can't do nothing' and this generation just seem to know there are no consequences. The local residents are sick of it too."

A police spokesperson said: "Around 2.15pm on Sunday, police received a report of youths riding dirt bikes on football pitches in Rowan Terrace, Cowdenbeath, and threatening comments made to a woman who asked them to leave.

"Officers attended around 10 minutes later and searched the area however everyone had left."

The spokesperson added that, in respect of anti-social behaviour in this area, the police had received no other complaints made in 2020 and 2021.

The trouble at the football club is the latest incident in a series of anti-social behaviour and vandalism to hit the area recently, with four youths arrested and charged after the war memorial in Cowdenbeath was trashed.

There was also damage after another weekend of bother in Lochgelly Public Park and at least 10 fires were set deliberately at Benarty Hill and Lochore Meadows last week.