Mindless vandals ruin sports oval

Masterton District Council property and facilities officer Charlie Fairbairn next to car skid marks on the Queen Elizabeth Park Oval.

Wheel-spinning vandals have driven cars on to the oval at Queen Elizabeth Park, carving deep ruts in the grassed surface.

The damage has outraged contractors charged with managing the turf on behalf of Masterton District Council, along with parks and reserves manager Grant Hathaway.

Mr Hathaway said the mindless vandalism was frustrating, especially to those charged with keeping the sports oval in good order.

He said the park was an easily accessible place and that "anywhere pedestrians can go, so too can motorbikes and cars".

"It is particularly disruptive when they drive across the clay block in the middle of the oval.

" When that gets run over, it takes a lot more work to reinstate."

Mr Hathaway said the only saving grace was that it has been "a good couple of years" since the oval was last targeted by vandals.

He said this latest vandalism, along with all other instances, has been reported to police.

The park was not situated in a high density residential area and therefore no reports of wheel spinning driving had been reported.

But it was close to Masterton Police Station, "almost within line of sight", so if people did suspect vandalism was occurring in the park they should immediate contact police, he said.

The oval is a sporting venue but is mostly used in the summer months for cricket.

New turf manager for Recreational Services Brayden Rawlinson said mindless vandalism was ruining things for people who enjoyed using sports fields.

He said in his time as a turf manager he had never seen anything like it.

"It is at almost endemic levels.

"At least once a week I am coming across damage in some form or another on a sports field."

Mr Rawlinson said he considered Queen Elizabeth Park oval to be "the jewel of Masterton".

Getting the oval into good shape had taken much of his time after the severe summer drought and he was hoping someone would come forward with information over who is behind the latest vandalism.

"It just p***** me off that these mongrels are getting away with it.

"At the end of the day, the victims are the people of Masterton who use these sports fields," Mr Rawlinson said.