There has been an increased number of severe vandalism attacks to play areas in the city's parks and open spaces in recent
weeks. Damage has included destructive vandalism, fires and premeditated vandalism where tools have been specifically taken
to sites to do the damage.
Histon Road recreation area was hit for a second time recently, when vandals ripped
out and smashed all of the high level banisters and railings on a large piece of play equipment which is less than one year
old.
Previously vandals had visited the same site and damaged a group swing. The damage was caused with a saw, as the vandals cut completely through two of the three supporting wooden legs and were one-third of the way through the final leg.
The
result has been that the piece is beyond economical repair and was left in such a dangerous state that it had to be completely
removed. Costs in excess of £14,000 will be required to replace the group swing.
Another site damaged was Arbury
Court play area where a series of railings were ripped from their foundations and thrown around the park, and the entrance
gate was damaged beyond repair.
Nightingale recreation ground has had a several fires recently and three plastic
slides have had to be fitted earlier this year after vandals burnt the original one and two days later after the new one was
installed it was burnt down again. Recently smaller scale fires at the site have damaged spinner bowls and other spinning
play equipment, requiring complete replacements.
A piece of play equipment at Chesterton recreation ground never
made into service when the new piece installed in the toddler play was damaged just hours after fitters had left the site
and since repairs have been carried out the same piece has been vandalised again.
Stourbridge Common Play area
had the roundabout and safety surfacing burnt after a moped was dumped on it and set fire to. The fire damage required a large
area of the wetpour safety surfacing to be replaced and a complete new roundabout was required.
Nunns Way recreation
ground suffered vandalism where it is thought 'free runners' where jumping from the high play structures onto lower level
platforms and shattering the fixings of the platforms and wooden steps and slats. New reinforced platforms have been specially
engineered to try to stop re-occurrence. Also at the same site vandals again came with tools to hacksaw through a steel reinforced
hanging play net. To date this has not been replaced.
Repairs to these play areas have cost around £35,000 to rectify
and replace damaged items and is a trend that we can not continue to fund. We would prefer to be spending the money on introducing
additional new and exciting pieces rather than these unnecessary repairs.
Future prevention
Active Communities
who manage the parks and open spaces are working closely with the Safer Cities team and the Police to try stop any re-occurrence
and may consider the installation of mobile CCTV on a temporary basis at some key sites to help deter or capture the culprits.
With new play areas being developed and refurbished across the city all the time, and a large scale play environment
about to be created at Thorpe way with works and play equipment in excess of £200,000 about the commence there is hope that
this type of vandalism will not spread to these new play areas.
Do you have information that could help?
We
would welcome and will treat in confidence any information that can help put a stop to these acts of criminal damage to public
property.
If you have any information or know of anyone that may have been involved in any of these attacks please
contact us on 01223 457532 or alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555
111.