Car park pitch scores a hit with kids

A licensee, whose pub was terrorised by vandals, has saved it from further damage by turning its car park into a five-a-side football pitch.

Phill Whiteside, who runs the Brookfield Arms in Preston, Lancashire (pictured)​, was determined to put an end to the teenage vandalism after taking over the pub just two months ago.

The pub had suffered hundreds of pounds worth of damage from youngsters who were hurling stones and bricks.

"It was a nightmare," Mr Whiteside told The Publican Newspaper. "The trouble started before I moved in. Kids were throwing stones, hanging around and hurling abuse at the customers.

"I got so fed up I went up to the group and asked them what they wanted. They said they had nothing to do so I came up with the idea of turning the car-park into a football pitch."

But he made sure that the youngsters helped with the hard work. The youths were made to help clear out the car park, dig out the weeds and mark up the pitch.

Mr Whiteside is now appealing to local businesses to sponsor the upkeep of the pitch as well as the team and its kit.

"The vandalism has stopped now and it's all worked out quite well," he said. "During the school holidays between 20 and 30 children were using the pitch all day, everyday.

"The kids have gone back to school now, but the pitch is still being used for quite a few hours every evening."