Golf club targeted by vandals

A golf club in Wolverhampton is being targeted by yobs as part of a mini crimewave in a respectable Wolverhampton suburb.

South Staffordshire Golf Club is one of two sports clubs on Danescourt Lane, Tettenhall, to be vandalised, while residents have reported cars being damaged and garages burgled. In recent weeks, vandals have driven a car through a large wooden security gate at the front of the golf club, repeatedly damaged golf buggies and broken through a fence.

In the latest attack on Saturday morning, fire extinguishers were lobbed on to the course, just feet away from players.

One member, who asked not to be named, said: "If I had been standing any closer to the fence, I would have been hit on the head.

"This has been going on for more than a month. The police have been down almost every day but it still goes on."

Chris Jewkes, owner of a new fitness club further along Danescourt Road which is due to open in a few weeks, said the premises had already been hit twice.

"I've only been here for two weeks and they've broken into the bowling green shed, although it's not clear whether they took anything," he said.

"The week before I came, they set a skip on fire at the site.

"I'm now having to put steel shutters on the all the entrances and exits."

Barry Richards, live-in groundsman at Wolverhampton Cricket Club, said he was aware of the problems but the club had not been targeted. A resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "We're experiencing a mini-crime wave. Neighbours have reported their cars being damaged and some have had garages broken into."

Another woman, who has lived in the road all her life, said a small group of youths appeared to have targeted the area.

South Staffordshire Golf Club manager Sue LeBeau today declined to comment. Police are investigating.