Vandals hit play areas (From Witney Gazette)

Vandals hit play areas

9:00am Wednesday 21st June 2006

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CALLS have been made for an end to a string of vandalism at Witney's parks, recreation grounds, and public buildings.

s=8Concerned residents have been backed by Witney Town Council in a personal appeal to vandals to stop defacing and damaging the town's amenities.

"We take these crimes very seriously, and are investigating this latest incident. However, I must appeal to the public for their help, and I urge people to report these crimes promptly and get in touch with us if they have any information about who is responsible, so we can prosecute the offenders."

Chief Inspector Dennis Evernden

The appeal comes after play equipment at Burwell Recreation Ground was covered in graffiti and sprayed with swear words and obscenities and as the town council prepares to install new £43,000 equipment at three Witney playgrounds.

Parks at The Leys, near Witney town centre, Quarry Road, and Moorland Road will be getting a makeover, and both the council and residents hope they will not be targeted by 'mindless' vandals.

Witney police has also pledged to follow-up complaints of vandalism no matter how small following the launch of a 'zero tolerance' approach in March, after figures showed the problem accounts for 41 per cent of West Oxfordshire's crime.

As reported in last week's Witney Gazette, nine people have been arrested since the start of the crackdown, with more than 20 alleged incidents of criminal damage, including graffiti, in Witney, Eynsham, and Standlake.

Police have renewed warnings that they will treat vandalism as a priority, and take it extremely seriously.

Janine Howells, the council's amenities manager, said vandalism and graffiti at the town's play areas was so bad that the council's parks team spent much of every Friday visiting each park to check for problems and even carry graffiti-removal equipment in their vehicles.

She said: "We do suffer a lot with damage to our play equipment on a regular basis. We recently had climbing equipment at the Ralegh Crescent park, in Deer Park, damaged, and are awaiting a replacement piece for that which is costing £800.

"We try to remove graffiti and repair damage as quickly as possible, but it's never-ending. There's a lot of money being spent on the new equipment, and if we could just say to the vandals 'think about what you're doing', maybe it might make a difference."

Mother-of-four Lucy Mailler, from Witney, was disappointed to see graffiti sprayed across equipment when she took children, Sophie, two, and ten-month-old Sydney to Burwell play park on Friday.

She said: "Some of the equipment is new, and I can't believe people are so thoughtless.

"It just ruins it for the children and everyone else. There are rude words, and the younger children know they're wrong, and it just doesn't create a nice place for them."

Witney mayor, Chrissie Curry, said: "You do your best for the younger ones, and it just gets ruined. It's such a shame. I hope that this will send across the message that it's just not acceptable."

Chief Inspector Dennis Evernden, of Witney police, said: "Criminal damage and graffiti are serious issues, accounting for almost half of our recorded crime in West Oxfordshire.

"It is unsightly, can be offensive, and can lead to further crime in the area. We take these crimes very seriously, and are investigating this latest incident. However, I must appeal to the public for their help, and I urge people to report these crimes promptly and get in touch with us if they have any information about who is responsible, so we can prosecute the offenders."

Anyone with information should call police, on 08458 505505, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111. To arrange for graffiti to be removed from the town's parks, call the council on 01993 704379.

* Quarry Road park will be kitted out fully with new equipment, The Leys will get a new helter-skelter slide, swings, roundabout and see-saw, and Moorland Road will get new swings. The equipment has been part-funded by West Oxfordshire District Council.

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