The Seend Beer Festival will be held next year with stricter controls after this year’s event was marred by under age drinkers causing damage to the nearby tennis club’s hut.

The organisers had to call the police to the festival after a group of about 30 youths tried to gain entry.

The event was held on May 4 at Seend Community Centre and was attended by hundreds of people.

It is thought that after being refused entry the under age youths congregated on the Lye Field drinking alcohol bought from somewhere else and left behind broken glass, beer cans and rubbish.

Minor damage was also caused to the tennis hut.

This was the ninth year of the beer festival, which raises money for the community centre, and the organisers were stunned by the trouble and questioned whether the event should be held again.

But after much soul searching the committee has decided to carry on with the event.

Richard Todhunter, one of the committee, said: “We deeply regret the disturbance and distress that was caused to our neighbours and any impact across the village.

“But on the other side of the coin most of the people at the festival had no idea of the events occurring outside.

“However, we recognise that we will need professional security and much tighter controls over what is happening, not only in the community centre itself but further afield.

“We are planning to meet with the police to discuss the issues that occurred.

“We are considering a whole range of measures including the timing of the event, entry prices and accompanied under 18s.”