ORGANISERS of the forthcoming Parkend Carnival were dismayed last week to find their carnival site, on the cricket pitch, had been repeatedly vandalised.

In the latest attack, which took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, (August 8) the festival flags were taken down, the flagpoles bent, and the cricket nets damaged, in the fourth attack in a week. The cost of repairing the nets alone is said to be £2,000.

Police were called to an incident at around 2am, when a group of people were reported to be making noise in the village, and leaving behind them broken bottles, discarded cans and ‘general rubbish’.

Reports on social media have said that a villager, who had been disturbed by the noise, then followed them back to a local holiday resort and campsite, though whether the group were staying there is unclear.

The carnival is due to go ahead on August Bank Holiday Monday, starting at 11am.

In a posting on their Parkend Carnival Facebook page, they reported: “We are sorry to inform that our carnival flags have been taken down again after the fourth isolated incident this week, we will not be putting them back up again as they will be vandalised again. If you have any information about this series of attacks please message us, and in the mean time please keep an eye out. We have also been provided with a police incident number. This is the first time since our conception that we have had this level of vandalism.”

Carnival secretary, Geraldine Brown, told the Review: “It is such a shame that this has happened.

“Fiona Crawley, who lives at Crown Cottages, was disturbed by the noise and bravely went out on her own to see what was going on. She followed the people back towards the campsite.

“The staff at the site are aware of what has happened, and they let us put a sign up on their notice board asking people staying there to please respect our village.”

She added: “This is the first time I think in 48 years of the carnival that we have had any problems like this. We will be leaving the flags down now until nearer the day.”

Organisers are hoping for a good year for the carnival, as last year’s event was a rain-lashed affair, which cost them around £2,600.