Here are some shocking images and videos of the damage done to Thorndon Park Golf Club in Essex, as hooded and masked quad bikers were seen ripping up the golf course.

This happened at about 16:30 GMT on Sunday, said the club’s general manager Iain Evans.

“We are all obviously devastated – a lot of hard work goes into preparing the golf course for members to enjoy,” he said.

Essex Police said it was investigating reports of criminal damage after six greens and more than half of the fairways were affected.

Two quad bikes were filmed on greens and fairways at the golf course, which was designed in 1920 by Harry Colt.

Evans added: “The initial thoughts were a little bit of anger and then just astonishment that someone can cause that much damage.

“Just mindless damage to what is effectively a natural environment is just awful.

“Maintaining the surface and caring for fine turf is an art. We employ greenkeepers and now they’ve got the unenviable task of trying to recover those areas, trying to make them fit for play.

“There has been vandalism on the golf course before with motorbikes but certainly not to this extent.”

He said a group of members had helped clear some of the debris, but it was “too early” to say how much money it would cost to repair the damage.

After closing on Sunday, the course opened the next day but some holes were closed due to “extensive vandalism of the greens”.

Essex Police said damage estimated at “thousands of pounds” was caused in the incident and it appealed for information.