A CRICKET club chairman says it is scandalous that his team's pavilion has been targeted by graffiti artists.

Stephen French, chairman of Moredon Royal Oak Cricket Club, says the tags have made their home ground an embarrassment.

Sgt Andrew Carr, community beat manager for the area, has described it as mindless vandalism that spoils the facilities for others.

Mr French, 43, of Haydon Wick, said: "It's absolutely scandalous because that building was originally opened by Princess Elizabeth in 1952, a year before the coronation, and there's a plaque on the wall.

"That wall being graffitied just makes the whole place look naff."

The pavilion has been vandalised before and it is now surrounded by a barbed wire fence.

The graffiti was spotted at the end of April, the beginning of the season .

"The place just looks terrible now," Mr French said.

"We were a bit upset when we saw it. It's not very nice when away teams come.

"We go to some really nice grounds and our ground is not a good advert for cricket.

"We have had problems down there before with vandals breaking the windows but it's now looking pretty sorry."

Sgt Carr says he is determined to stamp out graffiti on his patch and has urged anyone with information to get in touch.

"Obviously we would like to try and identify the tags and we would like to hear from anybody who knows who has done this," he said.

"It's very frustrating. It's mindless vandalism and it destroys the quality of life for the people using the facilities.

"We will deal very robustly with anyone caught doing this damage."

The Advertiser launched the Grass Up Graffiti campaign in February to allow people to give information about tags all over Swindon.

It began after the Town Garden bowl was covered in paint, but it involves the whole town and so far dozens of calls have been made.

The Adver passes on all relevant information to the police.

Swindon Council has also said that any information given which leads to the arrest and conviction of a tagger can earn the informant up to £100.