FANS of parkour – who use buildings to show off running and jumping skills – are hitting back at those who brand them vandals.

Police move them along and schools have tried to ban them but Matt Lane, a member of Wolfpack, Chippenham’s parkour crew, says they are not doing any harm.

“Everyone sees a big group of us and they just think we are out causing trouble but we’re just running,” said Mr Lane.

Wolfpack is made up of Mr Lane, Stefan Donaldson, Brogan Cole, Paul Hibberd and James Langley, and a number of casual participants.

They practise to reach a level where they can compete with other crews, and to make videos to upload onto the internet.

Mr Donaldson, 19, an apprentice at LA Barbers in Emery Gate, said: “I’ve been into parkour for about two years now.

“I got into it through a friend and now I practise every day.

“We just go anywhere in Chippenham or sometimes over to Bath.

“There’s a real freedom about it, that’s why we do it. It makes you think a lot more about what’s around you.

“I treat it like an extreme sport but there is certainly an artform to it as well, it is all about having a flow.

“We practise rolling a lot but that isn’t the main part, it is about linking the main moves together. The name Wolfpack is Paul’s idea.

“It’s about standing together and being a kind of family.”

The newest member of the group is Mr Langley, 18, of Pewsham, who joined the group two weeks ago.

He said: “I’ve been freerunning forever – I have been jumping over things since I was a little kid.

“I remember I went on holiday when I was about ten and there was this huge fence there – I tried to jump over it and it went from there really.

“I had always done it on my own but it is much better with a group because the sport is dangerous.”

But the nature of the sport has seen the group run into trouble, with calls being made to the police.

Mr Lane, 19, a care home chef, said: “We love to practise at Hardenhuish School because there is so much to try out moves on, but they keep moving us on.

“And when we are out and about in town people think we are causing trouble.

“We get a lot of hassle from people but we aren’t vandalising, we are just running and jumping.

“We would love to have somewhere to practise, like a hall with proper safety mats and equipment to use. Hopefully someone could help us out.”