A CRICKET club plagued by vandals has been targeted in another attack.

Bradshaw Cricket Club was dealt another blow when a bench on its bowling green was smashed overnight last weekend.

It followed an incident a few weeks ago when members were shocked to see a fight break out at the ground between a gang of teenagers.

Bowling club secretary Bill Lloyd said: “I run a Bridge Club and on one of the nights there were kids outside who started to fight. They were shouting and banging against the windows.

“I went outside and they shouted a few obscenities but went off.

“ It didn’t go down too well. Only half the people turned up the next night.”

Last month police were called to the club in Rigby Lane, after 40 older teenagers were found on the grounds in the late evening.

As well as breaking some of the pitch covers, they blocked off the officers by pushing the large white screen across the main access road – damaging it in the process.

Mr Lloyd added: “It is still a problem. Twenty to 30 teenagers were seen by a neighbour jumping up and down on the bowling green benches at the weekend.

“We also recovered what we think is drug paraphernalia and we have had people riding bikes across the green.

“It’s a superb bowling club but we have elderly members rather than young ones and this discourages them from coming down. We have no problem with them sitting on the benches as long as they don’t jump on them.

“There are CCTV cameras and the police are looking into this but something needs to be seen to be done. If there was a punishment it might stop them.”

The committee of the club, which is open the public, has been looking at deterrents including building a fence around the grounds.

However, the cost of erecting a barrier around the acreage of grounds has been deemed too costly.

The club has also made an appeal on social media to parents requesting them to keep an eye on their children and make sure they are not among the gangs terrorising the grounds.

Club secretary Mike Buckley added: “People spend a lot of time at the club trying to keep it nice so that everyone can enjoy it. We don’t mind kids being on the grounds as long as they are not causing trouble.”