QUAD bike vandals have wrecked a football pitch used by a team set up to help men lose weight - forcing the club to cease their operation.

Glasgow Titans discovered that their training ground on Tollcross Road in Glasgow's East End had been damaged at the weekend by track marks which had torn through the grass.

The club's manager Bryan Poole believes the track marks show that a quad bike and motorbike may have gone through the area.

The Glasgow Titans, who have been operating for over a year, only secured their pitch around three months ago - and now they will not be able to use it until the damage is repaired.

In a statement, the club said: "Our home pitch was badly vandalised putting it out of action until next year.

"It's a huge blow for our club as we worked very hard to find a settled home where the club could train and play our home games.

"With enquiries being made for funding looking to improve the facilities around the pitch, it's frustrating to say the least that this needs to be put on hold due to this act of mind numbing vandalism.

"Given what was used to damage the pitch, it had to come from within the very community we are helping which is completely baffling as to why someone would do this."

The statement added: "Hopefully you are aware of the type of club we are. A club who have managed to get 30 plus men back into physical activity, thinking about their diet and lifestyle and losing weight not to mention the improvement on their mental health.

"The impact we have as a club is not isolated to the individual taking part in the training and games, it's their whole family and friends that benefit as well.

"The list of complications due to being over weight are almost endless, strokes, diabetes, sleep apnoea, reproductive problems, second to smoking as the leading cause of cancer.

"Life expectancy in some areas of Glasgow are as low as 54 and here, in the very affected area where people's passion for football is clear, we have created a club where it's not about how good you are at football, it's about doing something you love to improve your health."

The Glasgow Titans play against similar fan fit teams which are operated by major clubs including Celtic and Rangers.

The club said they would investigate the vandalism and considering involving Police Scotland.