Tag Archive for: Vandalised

Golf Club Vandalised

Golf Club Vandalised: A North-East golf club has hit out at individuals who stole two buggies and caused thousands of pounds of damage.

Vandals struck at Insch Golf Club leaving tyre marks on a green, pulling up posts and driving over signs.

Golf Club Vandalised

Club manager Jayne Farquhar said she and her staff were “really upset” after the incident on Tuesday.

She said: “It’s disheartening because everyone works so hard to keep the greens looking good, and this comes at a time when golf clubs are struggling.

“It would be horrible if this turns out to have been someone local.

“This is a members-only club and they pay a lot to play here so for someone to have done this shows total disregard and disrespect for the work put in.”

It is thought that the damage to the green alone could be between £2,000 and £3,000 – and that doesn’t include the cost of repairing the golf buggies.

One of the buggies was recovered more than a mile away on Western Road in Insch at around 8.40pm on Tuesday with the second recovered a short time later.

Vice captain of the club Colin Campbell was hopeful that repairs could be made to the green.

He said: “We are all disappointed.

“This has happened before but never as bad as this – this is substantial damage.

“Our head groundsman is confident that he can re-cover the green, but because the grass isn’t growing now the scars will be visible for a while.

“The mechanic will be looking at the buggies because the windscreens were smashed and there may be also be damage to the underside as the vandals drove over signs.”

Investigating officer Pc Mark Hammond said: “The buggies had been parked at Insch Golf Club at 3.30pm that day but a member of the public called in about the buggy at Western Road in the evening.

“Anyone who either saw any of the buggies being moved later in the afternoon or in the evening or who knows anything about this incident is asked to contact police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference 3594 of 30 January.

“Information can also be provided anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Football Pitches Vandalised

Football Pitches Vandalised: Junior football clubs in the Bristol area have been hit with a large bill after vandals used a car to turn their pitches into a “mud bath”.

Seven pitches at Pomphrey Hill in Mangotsfield were damaged after a car managed to access the site in the early hours of Saturday, January 13.

Football Pitches Vandalised

The pitches are used by hundreds of youngsters every week, playing host to Bromley Heath Football Club and Mangotsfield Football Club matches.

Jamie Andrews-Britton, chairman of Bromley Heath FC and the Pomphrey Hill Sports Community Association, said the repairs will cost thousands.

“It happened in the early hours of Saturday morning,” he said. “A car came in at approximately 1.30am and left the property by 1.55am.

“It was 25 minutes of fun for the people in the car, but 25 minutes of fun that’s caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

“It’s definitely a single car. We have got three levels of pitches and it’s on the bottom pitches where they’ve caused the most damage – it’s unplayable.

“Two football clubs uses these fields and if there’s no games, there’s no revenue coming in.”

The car was caught entering the site on CCTV cameras installed at the Pavilion, opposite one of the pitches, but it was too dark to identify the vehicle’s make or model.

Jamie said it looked like the vandals had driven across the pitches while attempting high-speed manoeuvres and handbrake turns.

Due to the recent rainfall, the 38-year-old said the fields had been reduced to a “mud bath”.

An online fundraising page has since been set up to help cover the repair costs.

Jamie said he had been inundated with messages of support from other football teams, offering him use of their pitches and even pledging to help with the fundraising.

“The response we have had has been outstanding – we really didn’t expect it,” he added.

“We have set up the fundraising page and it’s already had over £300 donated, and I’ve had so many calls and messages from other football clubs.

“One manager offered to take his team bag-packing to help raise funds.”

Police are now investigating the matter, and have appealed for anyone with any information to come forward.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said: “A vehicle got on to the grassed area overnight on Friday, January 12 in the Pomphrey Hill area of Mangotsfield and damaged a football pitch.

“Police enquiries are continuing into the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call us quoting 5218009691.”

You can donate to Pomphrey Hill Pavilion’s online fundraising page here. Organisers are hoping to raise £1,000 to offset some of the repair costs.

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