Sunday league calls for help to combat crime

Recent incidents include radios being stolen out of players' cars and valuables snatched from kit-bags near the side of pitches.

Robin Powell, honorary secretary of the league said: "At Eastbourne they have a man at the changing rooms who stays there from when the footballers come in until they finish. He doesn't let anyone in unless they can prove they are a bona fide member of a team and that seems to have solved the problem. If they can do it, why can't we?

"We pay a great deal of money to the council for the pitches every season and we don't see why they can't make someone available to patrol the grounds."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We're in the process of organising another football liaison forum and we intend to have a crime prevention officer there to discuss the issues and see how we can best address them."