It’s really disappointing to have to post this.

We’ve tried our hardest to provide a facility that is open, accessible and free for the community to enjoy.

After bringing these old tennis courts back into use last summer, we’ve unfortunately been dealing with ongoing vandalism and a lack of respectful use.

We’ve replaced the basketball hoops after the first set were left in pieces. We’ve also repaired and replaced the tennis nets, only to discover yesterday that the nets had once again been damaged. On inspection this morning, we found that the net is broken and needs replacing, and part of the post fixings have also been removed and are nowhere to be found.

The cost of replacing the nets and posts is expected to be in the region of £400.

As a result, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to lock the tennis courts until further notice, while we look at a solution that will allow the facility to be booked and better managed.

It’s incredibly frustrating that a facility provided for everyone in the community is being damaged in this way. We want to keep these courts available for people to enjoy, but we simply can’t continue to replace equipment that is being deliberately damaged or removed.

If anyone has any suggestions for how we could manage bookings or help prevent further vandalism, we’d genuinely welcome your ideas.

We hope we can find a solution that allows the courts to reopen and remain a positive facility for everyone to enjoy.