Members of Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club are becoming increasingly concerned with the recent spate of anti-social behaviour on the Ridings.

The police have received a number of reports of incidents on the club’s property, including anti-social behaviour involving littering, the use of illegal substances, sexual activity and several parts of the club’s pavilion being vandalised.

Recently, the veranda part of the pavilion was deliberately broken and the pieces scattered across the cricket pitch.

The police have been given names of individuals potentially involved in the incidents.

Chipping Sodbury rugby and football teams and parkrun are among the local clubs that use the Ridings to host their matches.

Andy Shield, cricket club chairman, said: “Chipping Sodbury Cricket Club is a volunteer and family-orientated community organisation providing the cricket for the local area.

“Most people who use the whole Ridings area enjoy the environment and respect it. However, there is an element of young people who are becoming a nuisance. We were forced to call for police assistance after youths became aggressive to members of our club.

“The local police have become involved and they are very supportive in a collaborative approach to eradicating this behaviour from the whole Ridings area.

“Local MP Luke Hall is also concerned about the poor behaviour of a minority.”

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the incident involving the vandalised veranda is ‘believed to have happened at some point between 7pm on Sunday 19 July and 9am the following morning’.

Club Captain Jamie Rendell added: “Many local residents use the grounds daily, the majority of which are fantastic who treat the place with respect.

“Our volunteers do an incredible job keeping the place looking in such good nick all year round. Thankfully, it is not very often we have to deal with vandalism and criminal damage as the financial implications are massive for us, especially in the middle of this pandemic where are income has been so severely impacted.”