Pitch vandalism a kick in the teeth

WORKERS inspect the damage

Vandals have wrecked rugby posts on Greenfield’s Churchill playing fields - only two months after the sports ground reopened after a £500,000 improvement project.

Angry councillor Barbara Beeley, chair of Saddleworth and Lees District Executive, said: “I am disgusted. We have worked hard to provide one of the best sports fields in the borough - but some obviously do not appreciate it.

“This means that £500-£1,000, which could have been used elsewhere, has to be spent repairing the damage. If we identify the culprits we shall prosecute.”

Peter Townsend is secretary of Saddleworth Rangers which has 10 teams of youngsters who use the fields. He said: “It’s disappointing that a few people give hours and hours of their time to see their efforts ruined. It’s very frustrating.”