CRICKET club members in Yate voted to fight to the bitter end to get compensation after their pavilion was destroyed, as reported in the Gazette in May 1987.

The club, which had assumed the pavilion was to be moved to make way for a £250,000 running track, was devastated to find it had been bulldozed, and then burned, by Avon County Council workers.

Club captain Geoff Dawe described the destruction of the building as a scandalous waste of public money.

He explained how the town council had given the club £2,000 to help out with interior improvements and as the club had not been informed of the decision to burn the pavilion, thousands of pounds worth of fittings had been lost.

The club accused the town council of negligence and demanded a purpose-built replacement pavilion and compensation for the items lost.

Council chairman Cllr Maureen Minogue said there had never been any intention of pulling the pavilion down, and had sent a letter to Avon County Council, emphasising it should be relocated if possible.

Avon technical officer Alan Huntingdon, who made the decision for the pavilion to be demolished, said he had felt the cost of moving the building would not be economical.