TRAVELLERS have cost a sports club £10,000 claim its owners.
Foots Cray Rugby and Sports Social Club says the travellers, who have since moved on, damaged a storage shed and three cricket scoreboards while staying on nearby land.
The club has had to cancel four sporting events at its Footscray Road ground costing £10,000 in lost revenue. But the travellers have denied causing any damage at the club.
Rugby club president Paul Young, 63, said: “This was a lovingly tended sports ground. Now it's covered with excrement after they used it as a toilet and there are holes in the pitches from them racing quad bikes on it.
“The police should be equipped to deal with this type of situation more quickly. ”
Traveller spokesman Steven Price, 22, denied the group had been responsible for any damage.
He added: “None of the parents have had any complaints from members of staff about bad behaviour by children. If they were behaving badly they would be reprimanded like any other child.”
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