Townsville crime: Hoons rip up West End sports field in allegedly stolen cars

UPDATE: Police are on the hunt for a group of young hoons filmed doing doughnuts in allegedly stolen cars and ripping up a West End sports field.

• ‘We’re exhausted’: Hoons push club to breaking point

Police are on the hunt for a group of young hoons filmed doing doughnuts in allegedly stolen cars and ripping up a West End sports field.

West End resident Ivan Radalj said the sound of a car crash woke him up, and he got up to find three cars hooning around the field on Hugh St at about 4am on Wednesday.

Police are investigating the incident

“They were speeding around the park, ripping up the grass, and two of the cars must have collided at one point,” he said.

“There were about eight of them in all three cars — some adults and kids, one only looked about 12. He was tiny.

“They were hanging out the windows and hooning around for about 15 minutes.”

Police said they are investigating the incident and believe the vehicles involved were allegedly stolen.

West End residents woke up to find hoons ripping up the grass at the field on Hugh St. Picture: Ivan Radalj

A black Audi hatchback was stolen during a burglary at Bladensberg Cres, Annandale about 3.15am on Wednesday.

It was located partially burnt out on Benwell Rd, South Townsville shortly after at 5am.

A white Captiva station wagon was also stolen from Curacoa Crt, Wulguru at 2.50am on Wednesday and a blue Mazda BT50 dual cab utility was stolen from Cobold Crt, Kirwan between 11.30pm on Sunday and 7am the next morning.

Townsville CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Fred Starr said police are actively working to locate and arrest these offenders and put them before the courts.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging anyone with CCTV or dashcam of the vehicles to contact police.

The hoons were at the park for about 15 minutes. Picture: Ivan Radalj

Mr Radalj said the West End park was often targeted by hooning youths, and one of his neighbours had attempted to chase them off once.

“These kids just don’t care,” he said.

“They know they’re going to get away with it. It makes me so angry.”

The incident comes after hoons ripped up the grass and dumped a car at the nearby Cutheringa Park on January 30.

The Townsville Western Suburbs Cricket Club (WSCC) — who use the pitch at Cutheringa Park — have been plagued with ongoing issues of vandalism and hoons since last year.

WSCC president Peter Raffles said the ongoing crime had “exhausted” their volunteers who were always left to clean up the mess.

Originally published as Townsville crime: Hoons rip up West End sports field in allegedly stolen cars