A tennis club official has branded thieves who stole paint and used it to daub graffiti across a popular park as “mindless vandals.”

Jens Hislop, chairman and secretary of Haworth Tennis Club, fears a junior member or someone who knows them is responsible for taking the white-lining paint before it was used to scrawl obscenities, abuse and names on paths, grass, a wall and a dustbin at Haworth Park, opposite the club.

The theft was discovered yesterday morning when a member arrived at the Butt Lane club and found seven or eight cans of white paint, which were to be used to spray the white lines on the tennis courts, had been stolen from the clubhouse.

The graffiti, which was over a 40ft x 20ft area and in two-foot-high letters, was then discovered. Mr Hislop, 72, a retired policeman, said there was no sign of a break-in and the thieves appeared to have used a key to get into the clubhouse.

He said: “It is a police matter and I hope they find the culprits and prosecute them. But we are going to make our own inquiries.”

Bradford Council owns the park and tennis club grounds, which the club rents, and council workmen were yesterday trying to clear up the graffiti.

Mr Hislop said he believed juveniles were behind the graffiti.

He added: “It is misguided youth, hell bent on criminal damage. It’s mindless vandalism.

“It’s shocking that this has happened in such a lovely area and it is upsetting for local people.”

A police spokesman said: “We take incidents of anti-social behaviour extremely seriously and it is important that we trace those responsible for what have clearly been mindless acts of vandalism.

“Their actions will likely involve some considerable time and effort to rectify and we will not allow the minority to impact on our residents and their enjoyment of the local environment.

"I would ask any witnesses, or anyone with any information, to contact the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111."

Phil Barker, Bradford Council’s assistant director for sport and leisure, said: “We have had a report of offensive graffiti in Haworth Park overnight.

“We will work hard to remove it as soon as possible and work closely with the police to try to catch the people responsible."