London, Jan 30 (IANS): Police are investigating an incident on Tuesday night which saw flares fired at the house of Manchester United's Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward, by a group of supposed supporters of the club.

"At around 10.45 p.m. on Tuesday 28 January, Cheshire Police were notified of an incident of criminal damage that had taken place earlier this evening with a large group targeting a property in the Nether Peover area."

"Thankfully no one was harmed, and officers will liaise with security officials over the coming days to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and identify those involved," read a police statement.

Woodward is married and has two daughters, although nobody was in the house at the time of the attack.

The 48-year-old has become hugely unpopular with Manchester United fans during his time at the club, for what many view as his continued failures in the transfer market and the lack of a coherent transfer policy. This has seen United struggle for form in recent seasons and slide down the Premier League, with a recent home defeat to Burnley described as one of the team's worst displays in living memory.

Manchester United have reacted to the attack, which was carried out by a group of people hiding their faces with balaclavas, by issuing a statement which reads: "Manchester United Football Club have been made aware of the incident outside the home of one of our employees."

"Anybody found guilty of a criminal offence, or found to be trespassing on this property, will be banned for life by the club and may face prosecution. Fans expressing opinion is one thing, criminal damage and intent to endanger life is another. There is simply no excuse for this."