‘Criminals are ruining our club’

A JUNIOR football club claims it is being ruined by fireraisers who have struck four times in eight months.

Kirkcaldy YM has lost its cafe and toilet, a lounge used by visiting teams and its club offices in separate, deliberate fires which are under investigation by the police.

All of the club’s memorabilia has also been lost because of the “horrendous” actions of those responsible and officials say they have had enough.

The facilities were all contained in wooden cabins which have been destroyed. All that is left is one metal cabin used as changing rooms.

The blazes follow a spate of attacks, including break-ins and vandalism, which began last summer.

Club secretary Jim Douglas said youths were regularly drinking near the Denfield Park ground in Smeaton Road, and at least 10 crime reports had been filled in since last year. He added: “It’s ruining a football club. We’re going to have to clear this mess up and we don’t have a lot of money.”

The Tele revealed last month that a group of staff members at Morgan Academy had enlisted the support of teaching union the EIS to ask Dundee City Council to take their concerns seriously.

A source close to the school previously said that teachers were fed up of being abused by pupils and were concerned not enough was being done to tackle it.

The source said: “Teachers are upset that pupils they feel should be excluded because of their behaviour are being allowed to stay at school so the council’s overall exclusion figures stay low.”

Local EIS leader David Baxter said teachers wrote to head teacher Helen Gray and director of children and families services Paul Clancy following a branch meeting when concerns over the abuse were raised.

Mr Baxter confirmed today that “dialogue” has started between the union, teachers and the local authority, saying it was “positive” that their concerns about verbal and physical abuse were now being taken seriously.

He said the teachers and the union had subsequently received a response from Mr Clancy.

He added: “Talks have already begun between the teachers, the union, Mr Clancy and the education department.

“Our concerns are being taken seriously by Mr Clancy, which is very positive.

TALKS are under way between education chiefs and teachers at a Dundee secondary school amid claims staff are receiving too much abuse from students.