Halifax League cricket club hit by '˜mindless' £2,000 vandalism blow

A volunteer for the Bradford-based Clayton Cricket Club arrived at the ground over the weekend to find wooden railings and pillars kicked in and broken beyond repair.

Memorial benches placed in memory of beloved former members were also damaged.

Club chairman Howard Stead said that it is a huge blow to the club’s many volunteers.

“It’s completely mindless. We’ve estimated that the damage will cost anywhere between £1,500 and £2,000 to repair and replace. Why they do it is beyond me,” he said.

“We’re a small community club that puts so much effort into running junior teams and playing our part in the community, but there’s that element that tries to spoil it for everybody.

“Volunteers put a lot of effort into holding events over Christmas and the little money we’ve made that was earmarked for improving club facilities will now have to be spent in part on repairs.”

David Normanton, president of the Halifax Cricket League, said that while vandalism of this nature has been rare, break-ins were a common occurance for West Yorkshire cricket clubs in 2017.

“All the hard work put in by volunteers is challenged by vandalism. The very future of clubs can be jeaporadised by these sort of acts,” he said.

West Yorkshire Police were informed on Saturday night and are investigating the incident.