Bradshaw Cricket Club targeted by young vandals

Teenage yobs are said to be congregating at Bradshaw Cricket Club regularly since the start of the summer holidays.

As well as wrecking club furniture they have also directed threats at members of the cricket club.

The latest vandal attack happened late last week, when a bench was wrecked and litter strewn all over the pitch.

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Bradshaw Cricket Club Chairman, Steve Dickinson, discovered the damage.

He said: “I was here Thursday evening doing work on the grounds and there were children there. They had a bit of music on but it didn’t look like they were doing any harm.

“When 100 kids are there, you can’t call 100 off.”

It was Friday morning that he discovered the damage.

The broken bench

He said: “Over 100 kids leave litter and broke a plastic bench, which must have taken some great effort to do.

“It’s just a shame.” 

Steve said that seeing the damage was 'absolutely soul destroying' and appeal to the police for help.

Security is set to be tightened.

He said: "Six weeks school holidays doesn’t mean you can wreck our facility or disrespect it! Parents what are your kids doing?”

Steve added: “It’s been happening for weeks, I’ve been told three to four times that people want to stab me while doing the ground.

“Someone rode a motorbike on this, they thought it was acceptable to drive right across the ground.

“One of the weeks I was threatened to be stabbed, there was one lot going all over the square.

Litter on the bank

“When I said he shouldn’t do that I got a lot of expletives back and he said he would stab me.”

Police have since spoken to Steve about this issue and he said they have said they will increase patrols in the area in efforts to reduce these instances.

Members of the club have since rallied around to fix the vandalism.

Steve said: “The litter was picked up by an 84-year-old gentleman. He came down on the Friday morning and picked four bags of rubbish.

“Another club member mended the benches and the footing – but he shouldn’t have to do that.

“If they came down, sat on the benches, put their rubbish in the bins and didn’t do any damage then there would be no problem.

“It’s not just something that’s been going on recently, it’s been going on for 10, 15, 20 years.”

He continued: “We are putting a new fence around the ground. It will totally encapsulate the club – it’s the last straw putting that up.

“Around the ground there are plastic benches to commemorate people. People like to come here in winter and just sit on the benches with a flask and remember them.

“But obviously that’s going to have to stop with the new fence. In the winter the club totally shuts down, so anyone found in here will be trespassing.”

Steve added: “We do an annual firework display, an annual beer festival – it’s not just cricket, we do lots of other things for the community.

“We donate money to charities.

“It’s a small percentage of the community - 99 per cent are fantastic, it’s just that other percent who think it’s acceptable to damage the place.”