South Oxhey 3G football pitch fire sees firefighters called

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Sir James Altham 3G Pitch in Little Oxhey Lane at around 5pm on Saturday (July 3) after Oxhey Jets FC fans noticed part of the closed multi-use games area was on fire.

Photos show firefighters extinguishing a smouldering black patch several metres-wide on the pitch, which was shut by Three Rivers District Council for the “foreseeable future” in April 29 following multiple incidents of arson and vandalism.

The 3g pitch suffered an arson attack on Saturday. (Image: John Elliott) Jets founder John Elliott said: “We were all quite angry about it because we’ve been fighting to save the pitch and everybody has been trying for the sake of the community.

“We had been looking into seeing whether the Jets could take it on," he added. "But if we spent a lot of effort into getting the Astroturf re-laid and then people are going to do that then frankly we are wasting our time.”

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service at the pitch on Saturday. (Image: John Elliott) Watford Rural Parish Council had also been looking into repairing the football pitch, according the Jets founder, who said the arson meant there was “no point now”.

It is not known who set fire to the pitch, but John labelled those responsible "idiots" and said firefighters had found an aerosol canister nearby.

He added that a group of around 20 children had made their way onto the closed pitch and were playing “good as gold” before the incident, which he felt strengthened their argument for bringing the Astroturf back into service.

The 3g pitch was used for the Oxhey Jets training. (Image: Oxhey Jets FC) South Oxhey resident and Jets volunteer Alan Dickson said the arson had left him feeling “angry”, adding: “My son learnt how to play by going down there but now a small minority are just spoiling it for the ones that genuinely want to play football.

“At the end of the day, it’s depriving children of the chance to play football somewhere," the 48-year-old added.

Firefighters in South Oxhey on Saturday. (Image: John Elliott) In a comment online, Three Rivers District Council said officers had attended the football pitch to clean the area after the firefighters finished.

• 3G pitch could close permanently - 'huge impact' fears for local club
• Oxhey Jets FC 'scattered' by 3G training pitch closure

They added security fencing to an area which had been damaged to gain access to the pitch and would return today (July 5) to cover up “offensive graffiti”.

TRDC previously declined to confirm whether it will definitely reopen the pitch at some point, instead reiterating that no long-term decisions have been made.

However, a spokesperson did confirm the lease would be returned to Herts County Council when it expires in April 2025.