A Leeds cricket club has said it could lose thousands if it has to cancel all its weekend events due to travellers setting up on the cricket field.
Steve Wales, chairman of North Leeds Cricket Club, said around 100 junior players are supposed to be coming to the cricket club on Soldiers' Field in Roundhay for under 11s and under 13s games. But on Thursday night, Steve said at least a dozen caravans parked on the fields near the cricket grounds, leaving the club potentially having to cancel the games.
The club say that it wouldn't be the first time they'd have to cancel events recently. Steve said they've had travellers on the fields three times in eight weeks, and had to close the club completely at the end of May because of vandalism.
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"The last time the field was completely wrecked," Steve told LeedsLive. "We experienced vandalism and threatening behaviour and we're still dealing with the impact of it. The place really got smashed up last time and we couldn't do anything about it.
"A lot of children come to play cricket here and it isn't a nice environment for them. It's devastating in the community - the morale and feel here is absolute desolation.
"We feel like we've been left to fend for ourselves. We're just having to prepare for the worst."
Committee member Claire Speck said the club had suffered broken benches, broken screens and torn covers, theft of personal belongings, excrement, and interruption of private functions when travellers were on the fields at the end of May.
As well as tonight's event, on Saturday the club is supposed to be hosting a big fundraiser in the form of a barbecue, lasting through to the evening. There are also more matches happening over the weekend, and on Monday the club is supposed to be hosting a wake.
Steve and the rest of the committee are currently waiting in the hope they won't have to cancel everything they have planned.
"It cost us £6-7,000 in damage if we have to cancel all those," Steve said.
Claire said having to close the bar in May lost the club a lot of money, as the revenue from their is one of the things that makes the club sustainable.
Leeds City Council have been notified of the latest issue, and said they would be visiting the site to carry out a welfare assessment.
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