FUMING locals have slammed a group of Travellers who “broke into” a cricket pitch and allegedly lobbed rocks at passersby.
Plymstock Cricket Club in Plymouth, Devon, says the collection of Travellers gained access to their green on July 28 before setting up camp with 20 caravans.
SWNS20 caravans ‘broke into’ a cricket club in Plymouth and parked up on the green earlier this week[/caption]
SWNSTire markings have visibly scarred the cricket green[/caption]
SWNSThe club has also claimed that members of the Travellers have ‘thrown rocks’ at people walking past[/caption]
The club has claimed that members of the group have been “throwing rocks” at people walking by and has warned locals to “stay clear and stay safe”.
On top of this, Plymstock Cricket Club has had to cancel fixtures after the vans were parked on the pitch.
Lee Garlick captured drone footage of the tyre-markings that have scarred the green after the unauthorised encampment was started.
The club says it has been forced to cancel everything going on “for the foreseeable future“, meaning its tennis and football teams have also been affected.
Plymstock Cricket Club posted on social media saying that a “group of Travellers” had broken into the pitch on 28 July and were throwing rocks at people.
The statement read: “Unfortunately our pitch has been broken onto and we now have a group of travellers setting up camp.
“Do no approach the ground as they have been throwing rocks at people. Everyone stay clear and stay safe.”
Lee, who visited the club on Wednesday to obtain footage, said: “I just went down to get footage, as I have done with other travelling sites before.
“See what the state of the ground is like, how many are there, that sort of stuff.
“I parked up in the car park and launched my drone.”
He explained how a group of kids came over to him to ask what he was doing while filming.
After informing them, they went to get an older group of kids, who Lee reckons were teenagers, who then began asking why he was flying over and filming them.
Lee said: “I again, explained and informed them of the law and I was entitled to do what I was doing.
“They didn’t like this and told me to f*** off and stay away before something happens.
“There were some cars going in and out of the encampment that were shouting out the window as they were exiting the car park, telling me to f*** off and to go play with your toy somewhere else.
“I don’t intimidate easily, so I stayed, finished what I was doing and then left.”
The club told the BBC the incident was “absolutely heart-breaking” as they recently “put a lot of effort into improving [their] pitch and facilities”.
They added that this was going to be “a massive step backwards” for the club.
Plymstock Cricket Club said they had contacted the council and their local MP.
They added: “We hope that they can be moved on soon as this is a very active sports facility used by many in the community.”
In a statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We are aware of an unauthorised encampment at Dean Cross, Plymstock and are liaising with the council in relation to this.
“Officers have attended the site and engaged with the group.”
SWNSCaravans parked on the green at the club[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
