Burglary & arson: 4 arrested
Pic: Stuart Jones, Gordon Hurst, presenting
a cheque, Doug Topley, Andy Corbett and Tom Corbett in Birstall
Village Cricket Club’s pavilion. The damaged seats can be
seen on the right.
POLICE HAVE arrested four males for burglary
and arson on the School Lane playing fields.
Aged 21, 19, 16 and 15, they have admitted the offence and been
released on bail pending further enquiries. They are all from
Birstall.
Birstall Village Cricket club’s pavilion on the School Lane
playing field was broken into on the night of Saturday April
24. More than £1200 worth of stock was stolen - alcohol,
sweets, soft drinks and children’s cricket strips.
The thieves ripped out three seats and dragged these and the
stolen goods across to a wooden pavilion owned by the Parish
Council and used by sports teams as a changing room. They set
this on fire, totally destroying the building which had recently
had £2000 work of improvements spent on it.
After drinking the booze, the thieves decided to throw everything
else they had stolen into the fire.
Club Chairman Doug Topley said: “I felt devastated. We have
a good club here and I’m proud to be chairman. It’s
just a few mindless morons who are trying to ruin it for other
people, but they will not beat this club.”
Chairman of Birstall Parish Council Stuart Jones said: “It’s
appalling, it really breaks your heart. The people of Birstall
are paying through the nose for the acts of a few individuals.
Vandalism is costing the Parish Council around £12,000
a year.
Local businesses have stepped in to support the club after hearing
about the incident. Complete Fascias, sponsors of the under 11s
team have provided eight sets of children’s kits and Gordon
Hurst of New Move donated £50 for replacement locks. Carl
Gunns of Gunns’ Gym has also provided new shirts.
Junior Manager Andy Corbett said: “I’d like to express
my thanks to New Move, Complete Fascias and Carl Gunns for their
support.”
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Mystery gardener
A MYSTERY gardener who is visiting a council
maintained garden is being urged to stop.
The location affected is the grass area, daffodils and flowerbeds
outside Greengate Medical Centre at the junction of Greengate
Lane and the A6.
The mystery gardener has been strimming the grass and pruning
the rose bushes. Council staff say the person has ruined the
daffodils by cutting them back too early, and has been leaving
piles of clippings.
The site is maintained by Birstall Parish Council. Clerk Hugh
Knight said: “We are asking for this to stop as the area
is maintained by the estates team staff who take proper care
of the plants.”
Student walkout
A NUMBER of pupils at Stonehill School
staged a walkout protest on Friday May 14, running onto the school
field while others left the school site altogether.
Staff eventually returned all the children to school where headteacher
Alan Baker spoke to them in an assembly.
In a statement the school said: “A group of pupils staged
a protest because they believed that the end of year activities
day, which the school organises for pupils, would not be going
ahead. No decisions in fact have been taken about the activities
day and further discussions are planned.”
Child safety
CHILD SAFETY week runs from Monday June
21-27 and to raise awareness of the issue local Health Visitors
have organised a drop in session.
The session will be run by Birstall and Thurmaston Health Visitors
and School Nurses on Thursday June 24, from 1.30-4.30pm at Elizabeth
Parks Community Centre, Checkland Road, Thurmaston.
Health Visitor Cara Rowlett said: “Please come along to
meet other parents and to find out more information about home
safety, sun safety and road safety. Drinks will be available,
as well as a free raffle and safety competitions. Please look
out for posters in GP surgeries nearer the time with more information”.
Contact Cate Hughes, Health Visitor, on 0116 2692448 for more
information.
Garden waste disposal
DISPOSE OF garden waste free at Charnwood
Borough Council’s mobile recycling unit.
The service which began on May 23, is offered on alternate Sundays
at Syston car park on Melton Road, next to Wilkinsons.
The only items accepted are: grass cuttings, leaves, prunings,
hedge trimmings, raw garden fruit and vegetables, weeds, garden
and house plants, flowers.
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Club host feast of football
BIRSTALL UNITED Juniors hosted the annual
International football tournament at their Lakeside Meadows football
ground on the weekend of May 1-2.
Pic: Birstall Foxes
A feast of junior football was witnessed over the weekend, incorporating
under 7s, under 8s and under 13s age groups. The weather was
excellent and the football was equal to it, clubs from France,
Peterborough as well as Leicestershire provided entertaining
and thrilling games throughout the two days.
Pic: Birstall Cub's team
Side stalls, a barbeque and bouncy castles meant that it was
a full family occasion while providing much needed funds for
the club.
On the pitch the all Oadby Under Sevens final was won by Oadby
Tawnys, while the Under Eights title went to Loughborough Dynamo.
Pic: Parish Council Chairman Stuart Jones
presented trophies to the winning sides
The French team Etoile took the Under 13 trophy back over the
channel.
The weekend was only soured by the break in on the Sunday night
which was discovered on Monday morning, thieves getting away
with the club generator only recently replaced from a previous
break and the club’s only form of power.
Pic: Stuart Jones (left) and John Clayton
with the winning Oadby Tawny team
It now means that the clubhouse is without power, which is now
the main focus for fundraising. A target of £5000 is needed
to be reached to enable electricity to be laid to Lakeside Meadows
on Meadow Lane.
This will enable the club to continue to provide training and
game facilities to children of all ages from the village and
surrounding areas.
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