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Ben Rhydding cricket official Andrew Jennings and hockey club president Robin Snook collect some of the turf ripped out of the ground.

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AN Ilkley sports club has been left with a bill of more than £5,000 after vandals churned up grass pitches by doing handbrake turns in a car.

Officials at Ben Rhydding Sports Club were left assessing the damage after the attack on Monday night which has resulted in the postponement of at least one hockey match so far and left their cricket pitch damaged, too.

Committee member Andrew Jennings said: "It is really sad and made us all very cross. We have had joy riders on the pitch during the night and they caused lots of damage.

"They must have been joyriding around for 20 minutes and have been doing handbrake turns."

Mr Jennings said that the club had suffered from vandalism over the past year and an old pavilion had to be knocked down because of damage.

He said that the hockey pitch and other grassed areas damaged had been hidden behind the clubhouse and were not easy to spot by passers by.

Mr Jennings said: "If you drive past there in the middle of the night you can't see anything. It is an enormous area - they have really damaged it.

"We have put lots of time and effort into it and we are all volunteers. Who on earth gets their kicks from that - I don't know."

He said that the cost of repairs would run to around £2,000 and the cost of fencing off the area and putting in bollards to prevent a repeat would be as much as £3,500.

Until the work has been carried out, Mr Jennings said that night security patrols would be employed.

Mr Jennings said he would be contacting other sports clubs in the area to set up a new organisation called Clubwatch in a bid to prevent criminals preying on their premises.

He said: "We are going to have a meeting with all the clubs to set up a Clubwatch. We are going to get some guidance from the police."

Hockey Club president Robin Snook said: "We are going to have to cancel at least one of our game this weekend - there are probably a dozen circles on the pitch.

"It is just appalling really. We can't repair it in time. The only thing we can do is put sand in the holes and roll it and we will have to take a view next week. Even if we repair it - it is not the surface we want to play on."

Mr Snook said that football areas used by Ilkley Juniors had also been damaged meaning that around 600 people could be affected by the vandalism.

"When you put it in numbers like that people need to be aware that is the - issue. It is huge disappointment. We are all volunteers down there. People like this just come and muck it up for everybody.

PC Lew McKenzie, a crime prevention officer based at Keighley police station, said the police would be happy to help in the setting up of a Clubwatch.

He said: "We set up and assist with the setting up of business watch and neighbourhood watch schemes. Anything being set up to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour we think is a good idea. We would fully support and get involved with that."

Mr Jennings said: "We are a sports club trying to put on things for the community on a voluntary basis. It is just sad and a sign of the times."

11:45am Thursday 1st February 2007

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