MYSTERY surrounds reports of anti-social motorists racing around a muddy field in Davenham but leaving no trace.

A resident in Charles Avenue contacted the parish council about the situation, which relates to Butchers Stile playing field.

Clr Andy Duff, chairman, said: "It's been reported by a resident that there's been youths taking the gate off Butchers Stile and riding cars round the field."

Clr Suzanne Wilson said: "The resident said it's been happening regularly and it's really noisy."

But Clr David Ravenscroft said there was no sign of any disturbance.

"No cars have been on there," he said.

"They wouldn't have got off if they'd been on it.

"It's so wet and muddy you would see the tracks.

"They might have been up the path up to the gate, there's some tracks there, but they don't go through the gate.

"It's easy to take the gate off for emergency purposes but I've been every other day and it's not been taken off to my knowledge."

Clr Ravenscroft was more concerned about the impact of football on the field after a night of pouring rain.

"I saw the juniors were there on the Saturday, the nets were up and everything else and I had a word with them," he said.

"It's difficult for me to be the big bad person saying 'call it off''.

"They were the under 6s so I said 'I will leave it to you' but it's been churned up so in future I'm going to say if it's bad I will say no.

"Common sense should prevail.

"I know they want to play but there's got to be some overriding decision made by us."

Clr Duff said that Davenham Junior Football Club had been in touch and had proposed a policy which the council said it would discuss in the confidential section of the meeting.