TRUSTEES of a well-used sports and recreation field in Chipping Sodbury have issued a stark warning to teenage vandals – use and abuse us and we will name and shame you.

The caution comes after a large group of revellers, thought to be youngsters celebrating the end of the summer term, held a late night party on The Ridings where they left piles of rubbish and attempted to set fire to trees on the adjacent golf course.

David Shipp, chairman of Chipping Sodbury Town Trust which maintains The Ridings for community use, said the party last Thursday (July 23) was by no means an exception.

“We are having major problems with vandalism at the moment,” he told the Gazette.

“Last Saturday they had a big party and left booze everywhere and at this latest party not only did they have a big party and leave rubbish over a wide area but they tried to set fire to a conifer tree. They have also taken all the bark off another tree so that will probably die now.”

The Ridings includes fields and training pitches used by local football clubs, Chipping Sodbury Rugby Club and keep fit classes and is also home to the Chipping Sodbury Parkrun. The area is next to the town’s cricket, golf and tennis clubs and is popular with children and dog walkers.

Mr Shipp said he could not believe that nobody had spotted the large party last week.

“Please help us,” he said in a direct plea to the community. “It is your facility as well as ours.

“I can’t believe that someone walking by with a dog or running did not see a party of all those youngsters. We have security in place which we have just increased to cover seven days a week at great expense to the charity. The phone number is on signs so we urge people who see any anti-social behaviour or vandalism to call and report it.”

Mr Shipp said he would have no problem visiting the parents of any youngsters he identified.

He added: “I want people to recognise that it is run by a charity and any money spent on damage is taken away from improving the area.

“We want people to use the facilities but please do not abuse them.”

Robin Goodey, general manager of the adjacent Chipping Sodbury Golf Club which has experienced some problems with litter on the course, said it was working with the town trust.

“They did try to light a fire with aerosols under some of our trees and that could have been fairly nasty,” he said. “They have had a party on one of our holes before and that is not ideal when your members are finding beer cans all over the course the next morning.”

Chipping Sodbury beat manager PC Mike Hart said police carried out regular patrols and he urged the public to call the force's non-emergency 101 line or The Ridings' private security company at the first sign of trouble.

"My guess is that people tend to ring us after it has happened," he said. "It is about information being shared as we haven't found too many problems but obviously these groups are still there and we need to be patrolling as much as we can."

He added: "It is about parental responsibility as much as anything else as we know some parents are happy for their child to come back in whatever state we find them in or even buy them alcohol."