The sleepy, tranquil village of Dulverton was over-run this weekend. Not by dangerous criminals but, according to frightened locals by a group of kayakers who, worse still, are reported to be university students.

This contentious group of individuals arrived on Friday evening from the University of Sussex and immediately invaded a local pub where two of their comrades were already positioned disguised as drunkards (and who had been behaving suspiciously all evening). They then continued to take over the church owned bunkhouse, their first of many footholds, in this our unsuspecting village......

Among the horrors witnessed due to their presence over the weekend are stories of game shooters being disturbed as students prepared to paddle, the insulting of female waiting staff at a well-known free-house, the reckless and disrespectful leaving of kayaks and other such equipment on the banks of the river as well as the take-over of what was a quiet teashop serving cream teas to respectable members of the community on Sunday afternoon. They then made off in a poorly driven minibus, with a trailer and several boats attached, as well as a ridiculous looking Christmas tree strapped to one side.

In an interview one local landlady described her terrible experience: "Those boys insulted my staff you know! One of them, Scott I think he called himself,

he was asking for it he was. And you should have heard the guitar playing. I'm surprised the windows didn't break. They've got a cheek to come in here causing havoc......challenging the locals to pool and the like. I ask you. "

There have been no more sightings of the group since Sunday afternoon but villagers are advised to remain cautious at all times and be on the look out for anyone behaving as though they may like to be on rivers in December or any other irrational behaviour.

by Lizzie Sargent