CLUBS across Gwent have banded together and donated equipment to Newbridge Cricket Club after a spate of vandal attacks took place over the weekend.

Newport Fugitives and Blackwood Town cricket clubs have helped out their neighbouring club, which is facing a bill of £6,650 after equipment was damaged.

The volunteer-run club, based at the Welfare Grounds on Bridge Street, was targeted overnight last Friday and faced further financial losses if fixtures could not be upheld.

Fugitives captain Matthew Evans, 41, said: “I saw photos on Saturday morning and texted their chairman John [Wellington] straight away to offer anything we could do as we have a really good relationship with Newbridge, lending them a mower earlier this year.

“People just don’t think who it will affect. They have been through the mill at that club but they keep coming back and probably have the best youth set up in Gwent.”

Mobile wicket covers worth £6,500 and a new barbecue was the extent of the damage found on Saturday morning which ‘could have been so much worse’.

Both clubs have lent covers to help prevent Newbridge suffering fixture disruption while many more have condemned the damage online.

Newbridge chairman Jonathan Wellington said: “It’s a nuisance and an expense. Obviously if we can’t get games then we are in potential difficulties.

“We have been hosting a touring Kent side this week who bring more than 35 people and the fixture is worth nearly £2,000. Luckily we haven’t had to call it off but that would have hit our bar takings, which are one of the clubs big earners. We offer opportunities to the community, which is why it’s frustrating.”

Blackwood captain Richard Matthews, 28, added: “Ourselves and Blackwood are so close, we just invested in covers so we know how expensive they are.

“We are all volunteers in cricket who work so hard and whoever it is, it’s exasperating that they might get away with it.”

The club say there have been issues with anti-social behaviour and youths climbing over the fence as a shortcut to the leisure park.

Several times this season the rugby club, which shares the site with the cricket club and the bowls club, has suffered damage to its signs and main stand, along with bin fires including one on Friday night.

Paul Rogers, 35, of the rugby club, said: “We are looking at raising money for preventative measures.

“We’ve had a few bin fires now and it doesn’t bear thinking about if it set alight to the club house. We are community clubs so it feels mad for them to target us.”

Anyone with information should contact 101, quoting log number 186 23/07/16.