WOODFORD GREEN: Police called after teenage pitch invasion (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WOODFORD GREEN: Police called after teenage pitch invasion

10:04am Wednesday 14th May 2008 in

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A GROUP of angry cricketers were forced to call the police after their pitch was invaded by a hundred-strong gang of rowdy teenagers.

Players at Woodford Green Cricket Club took action after the youngsters, many of them girls, brought their first match of the season to a halt by having a waterfight in the middle of the outfield.

The pitch invasion, on Saturday, May 10, held the game up for 20 minutes, before police arrived to disperse the group, some of whom then returned to the club in Woodford Green High Road to cause further disruption.

Even after the game started a crowd of girls began sunbathing on the pitch, forcing his fielders to dodge between them as they tried to retrieve the ball.

Club captain Chris Masters said: "It was a ridiculous situation. These kids were lying on the edge of the field, sunbathing, playing football and having waterfights, and our players had to run around them to get the ball.

"We had already called the police to get them off the pitch earlier on, when they refused to move away.

"One of our other teams had to call the police because of a similar incident on Wednesday, and we're getting a little fed up with it."

Mr Masters, of Pulteney Road, South Woodford, said the teenagers were lucky not to be hit by any stray shots during the game, which saw his side notch up 296 runs during a narrow six-wicket defeat to rivals, West Essex.

He said: "We certainly weren't aiming at the kids, but they were spread out all over the place, and could easily have been hit by the ball.

"I hope they get the message and stay away because if one of them gets hit in the head by a ball it could badly injure them."

A police spokesman confirmed officers had attended the scene to disperse the youngsters and that they would monitor the situation.