Criminal damage at skate park threatens its closure
Vandals have caused damage that will cost Hastings Borough Council (HBC) up to £20,000 to put right at the outdoor skate park in Falaise Road.
Vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the outdoor facility has escalated in the last month to include serious criminal damage according to a spokesman for HBC who says the council is working with the police.
The most recent damage included the shooting out – by either gun or catapult – of the floodlights, setting fire to on-site waste bins, fencing, damage to the wall and over the weekend skate bowls specially made edging stones were ripped out.
Colin Fitzgerald, lead councillor for environmental services at Hastings Borough Council says: “The council is undertaking some interim works to make the skate park safe and allow it to stay open. But it is likely that the skate park will have to be closed at short notice if any of the interim work is unsuccessful, or there is further vandalism.
“We are currently seeking estimates for the full repair to the skate park and expect those to be the region of £20,000.”
A spokesman from Source Park said: “Our regular users of the skate park have noticed that vandalism is becoming a real problem. The antisocial behaviour happens quite late at night when park users have gone for the evening.”
What is happening to our town? Vandalism, attacks on residents, wilful shooting of seagulls and destroying their nests.. setting lethal traps to ensnare whatever poor creature happens to get caught..its really shocking to read of these events on a daily basis. Do these people understand the effect their actions are having on our environment? People wary of going out at night….protected wildlife at risk on a daily basis…the list is endless and something needs to be done to stop this. A slap on the wrist is not adequate punishment.
You would have thought in view of a series of problems here they might have put up some, even temporary, CCTV system to identify these tykes who are doing the damage. Or even stationary surveillance from an advantage point.
I hate to say this but the best thing they can do is just close it down if they cannot resolve this problem. Keep on throwing money at it is not the solution is it. It seems pretty clear that if it is repaired there will be a repeat of it.
There has to come a time when you have to say ….No More.