I AM writing in response to an article in last week's edition of the Preston Citizen (July 15) concerning complaints made about Bamber Bridge Football Club by Mr Joe Eccles, who lives adjoining the club.

Mr Eccles forgot to mention he had written to South Ribble Borough Council and the environmental department who came down to assess the situation and agreed that everything was in order, and that the Football club, by installing a new drain behind Mr Eccles' fence and supplying him with drainage pipe to allow him to connect up to, had done everything that was necessary.

I had called to see Mr Eccles to offer advice and was prepared to help him solve his problem, but I was rebuffed and more or less told that I did not know what I was talking about.

While in the garden I noticed a few things that could cause a problem with drainage - one being that his garden appears to slope towards his house and the drain he had installed does not fall down towards the main drain at the back of his fence.

In regard to the netting which we are in the process of erecting, we are experiencing problems that we are working on to try and solve.

I have been in contact with the planning officer who has agreed to allow us time to complete the job and then we will be able to comply with the conditions agreed by the planning office.

The netting has cost us a considerable sum of money and we are only trying to alleviate the problems caused when footballs enter the gardens of our neighbours, who are in the main very cooperative.

Mr Eccles also states he keeps the balls which enter his garden, and has refused to return them.

I hope he realises that, according to law, he is out of order.

Russ Rigby, Football Secretary, Bamber Bridge Football Club

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