Police investigating after 'spineless' youths hurl rocks onto football pitch as Kettering girls train

A Kettering football coach says it’s lucky nobody was seriously injured or killed after youths hurled rocks onto a pitch as young girls trained.

Police are investigating after the shocking incident at Latimer Arts College’s 4G surface in Castle Way, Barton Seagrave, on Wednesday night (September 21).

Kettering Town FC community Wildcats teams, including the Under 10 girls, were forced to halt their session at about 7.30pm after missiles were launched over a fence.

Police and venue staff were alerted and the pitch was cleared of rocks and stones, with one parent suffering a small cut to his head after being struck by a golf ball.

Under 15 academy coach Nigel Smith branded the yobs ‘spineless’ after they ran away after being confronted.

He said: "It was like a meteor shower and we heard a lot of youths shouting ‘eff off’.

"We had to move the kids to the other side of the pitch and one of the parents was hit by a golf ball.

"My daughter was on that pitch and it’s lucky nobody was seriously hurt. Looking at the size of some of those rocks they could have possibly killed a child.”

Nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident and police have urged anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 22000551359.

And Nigel issued a plea to parents of children who are going out with their friends.

He said: "Please find out where your children are going to be.

"If one of these kids had been hit by a rock we could be talking about a completely different story.”