TRAVELLERS have left Old Halesonians Rugby Football Club counting a bill of thousands of pounds after trespassing onto their pitch at the weekend.

A group of travellers with around ten caravans drove onto the first team pitch in Wassell Grove, Hagley, on Friday night at around 9pm.

They left yesterday (Sunday July 19) at around 2.30pm after the club was forced to call in bailiffs to remove them.

They left behind human waste and rubbish on the pitch which the club will now have to pay to have removed.

Chris Herbert, marketing manager at Old Halesonians RFC, said a few people were enjoying a quiet drink outside when they were shocked to see the travellers drive on.

Chris said: "They demanded £6.5k to leave so we got in bailiffs - apparently they are targeting rugby clubs with some success.

"Around ten or 15 caravans parked on the first team pitch.

"They have been driving all over it, but because it has been dry the damage hasn't been as bad as it could have been.

"They have left a lot of human waste and rubbish which we will have to pay to have cleaned up.

"And then there was the bill for the bailiffs, so it will be thousands of pounds, which will come from club coffers.

"There were a few people having a drink outside when they pulled up.

"The gates were open so they just drove on - people were trying to lock the gates.

"They were not nice people. It was a nasty experience, not very nice at all."

Stourbridge News:

Police were called to the club on Friday evening.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "We received reports of travellers on land at Wassell Grove, Hagley on Friday evening (July 17) and officers attended to speak to the landowner.

"The landowner confirmed they would be asking the travellers to leave the following day."

Mr Herbert said a large trailer has been parked across the club gates to stop the travellers getting on again (pictured above - there is another trailer blocking a gap in the hedgerow further down the road).

The club's committee will discuss a permanent solution so that a similar incident cannot happen again.

Cricket restarts at the club this weekend - a date is still being awaited for rugby to restart.