Yobs attack at football club

Yobs have targeted a £1.1 million community clubhouse under construction at a Staffordshire football club in a spate of break-ins.

Wyrley Juniors FC, the biggest amateur club in the county with 700 footballers on its books, has been forced to pay out hundreds of pounds for CCTV to protect the site as members vow they won't be beaten by the vandals.

The club which has 45 teams from across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, including Cannock, Wednesfield, Walsall and West Bromwich, has been hit several times — twice in the last week — since building began in January.

A dumper truck was taken from the compound in Long Lane, Great Wyrley, and driven into a nearby canal.

Then last week vandals broke into the site and cut main electricity cables, taking power out at the site and also the neighbouring Teddy Bears children's nursery.

On Thursday night club chairman Keith Hardy was tipped off by residents that youths had got on to the site. He caught four teenagers and warned them off.

Mr Hardy said: "There have been other break-ins where attempts have been made to force the cabin doors and steal diesel from trucks. It is disappointing, particularly as the facility is being built for young people like the ones I caught."

The ambitious development, which has taken 14 years of fundraising, includes a clubhouse — for the use of the local community as well as the footballers — four pitches, four changing rooms, two referees' changing rooms, a kitchen and medical room.

Wyrely Juniors has a ladies' side, three men's teams, 11 girls' sides and 30 boys' teams.

Mr Hardy said the work, due to be completed in June, was is ahead of schedule, despite the vandalism.

"We have now installed CCTV cameras linked to a security firm," he said.

He added the contractors were using plastic instead of metal piping in the building and all diesel was drained from vehicles on site every evening.