BOWLING enthusiasts claim criminals and youths are ruining their green — but pleas for better security measures look poised to be rejected.

Residents of Top O'th' Gorses and crown green bowlers who play at Leverhulme Park presented a petition with 119 names on it to the Mayor of Bolton at a recent meeting of full council, calling for the council to erect security fencing at the site.

They claim vandals have damaged the roof and shutters on the club house, and say youths playing football have damaged the condition of the green, forcing fed up teams to quit.

But although Bolton Council said it would repair the damage, it said it has no funds to pay for improved security. Eric Hyde, a Liberal Democrat activist for Darcy Lever and Little Lever, has been backing the campaign.

He said: “It’s been a problem for the last three or four years.

“There are four or five teams who have stopped playing there because of hassle from kids and because of the condition of the ground due to people using it for football.”

He said: “The bowling hut was broken in to recently, they broke in through the roof and someone tried to break in through the shutters.

“The shutters won’t open properly now so the only daylight they get comes through the door.”

A Bolton Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of recent vandalism and will carry out repairs within the constraints of available resources.

“The council has no plans at this time to fence the green due to limited financial resources.”