East Preston FC vandalised again

The committee room has been broken into at East Preston Football Club

The club, in Lashmar Road, East Preston, has now been the victim of three attacks by vandals this year, the first in January and the second the following month. The damage this time was found on Good Friday.

Windows were broken, the main doors were smashed in, and among other damage, many of the club’s trophies were broken.

The trophies would have been used as part of the club’s golden jubilee in August this year, when it will celebrate 50 years in operation.

Chelle Pritchard, bar manager, said: “The police came on Friday after the incident and spoke to someone on Monday.

“It is more money that we have got to find now, and it looks like we will have to contact insurance.

“We have got our golden jubilee in August and there were trophies we wanted to use and we have to rethink now.

“We are a community club, and we don’t mind people using the grounds.

“When people start trashing it, it becomes  a problem.

“We don’t mind people playing football when it is nice weather, but people have just started taking advantage.”

Other damage included smashed monitors, cracked tables, and a number of items ripped out of drawers and strewn across the floor.

A groundsman for the club found the damage when coming into the club after the break-in, and also found a number of broken chairs in the ground’s stands.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Police were called at around 2.30pm on March 25 to a report of a burglary and criminal damage.

“It is believed an outbuilding in the Roundstone recreation ground had been broken into sometime between Wednesday, March 23, and Friday, March 25.

“Windows had been smashed and a microphone was reported to have been stolen.

“Anyone with information is asked to email [email protected] or call 101 quoting reference 804 of 25/03.”

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