Concerns have been raised that a newly refurbished tennis court is not being used as it should.
Two regular users of the courts in Holbeach’s Carter’s Park said people had been verbally abused by young people milling about on the courts when they wanted to play tennis.
Ian Bruce and Rob Gordon attended a recent meeting of the parish council to address the issue.
Mr Gordon said he was part of the campaign for the courts to be refitted, and is a tennis advocate with local schools.
“I’m thrilled the work on the courts has been done,” he said. “To have a facility like that in Holbeach is just wonderful.
“We are so spoiled and blessed to have it.
“The problem is it’s a tennis court designed for smaller balls.
“Other youngsters can be messing around, not playing tennis, and if you ask them to move you get the foulest language.
“I was quite shocked. I’ve been up there with my family playing and we’ve asked them to vacate so we can play tennis as the facilities are intended.
“We were told where to put ourselves in no uncertain terms.”
Mr Bruce told Holbeach Parish Council he’d been playing on the courts for 30 years, and it’s where his sons learned to play the game.
He called for a separate court to be installed so people could play foot tennis there instead of on the tennis courts.
“A lot of money has been spent on the courts and they’re a great facility,” he said. “It’s being abused by children for other means.
“There’s a lot of football and the ball bouncing on the tennis nets lowers them and also eventually damages them.
“It’s putting people off from playing tennis.
“Even when you are playing, it’s very intimidating when a large ball is flying around the courts.”
Mr Bruce added that he had seen one couple turn up to play tennis and those playing football refuse to leave.
“If you turn up and the courts are being used for football, would you have the confidence to ask them to leave?” he asked the parish council. “I doubt most people would; I think they would be too intimidated.
“That means the courts are not being used for what they should be used for.”
Mr Bruce asked the council if a gate like the one at Ayscoughfee’s courts could be installed and more signage added.
Holbeach Parish Council deputy clerk Betty Brothwell said: “It’s a public area, hard for us to maintain and we don’t have the powers to move them.
“We can speak to the police and see if they can wander around and have a word, but they’re quite restricted as well.
“We can look at additional signage.”
Following the meeting a spokesman for Holbeach Parish Council confirmed that the authority was looking to install a gate mechanism to the courts.
