Sports f ield wrecked

Greymouth High School, neighbours and police are livid after a vehicle spun around on the Recreation Ground early this morning, chewing up the playing field and newly-grassed area adjoining the aquatic centre.
School property custodian Rose Durrant could hardly believe her eyes when she surveyed the extent of the damage: “I’m angry, disappointed, incensed and more — we are supposed to be opening our new gymnasium next week and this effort won’t make things look pretty,” she growled.
“This is going to cost us thousands — I can’t understand why people behave like this.”
The ground was widely used by students during their breaks and also as a training area for community sports teams. It would have to stay closed while the turf was repaired, which would take time.
Grey District Council support services manager Kevin Beams was just as angry about the nearby damage to the aquatic centre lawn.
“It cost us a lot of money to prepare the ground. What kind of young tossers do this?”
However, police were today on the tail of the culprits.
Sergeant Brent Cook, of Greymouth police, said officers had stopped a suspicious-looking vehicle for doing wheelies last night, close to where the fields had been torn up.
“The occupants, four men in their 20s, did a runner. However, we have the vehicle registration and we will be serving notice on them,” Mr Cook said.
“We, the community and leaders in the town will not tolerate this type of behaviour. It’s destruction of community assets and when we catch them we will prosecute to the fullest.”
Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn was “disgusted” that people could be so destructive when volunteers had put in such an effort to get the town looking good.
He urged the vandals to hand themselves in to the authorities.
“When they are caught they should be given community work — maybe that would make them appreciate all the hard work people do in this town,” the Mayor said.