Park equipment vandalised while under construction

New equipment at a park in West Bridgford has been vandalised while still under construction, a borough council has said.

Wooden benches were graffitied and fencing was damaged in order to gain access to the site at Bridgford Park over the weekend of 24 and 25 May.

Rushcliffe Borough Council said it was now increasing security patrols at the park while the work continued.

Councillor Jonathan Wheeler, the authority's portfolio holder for leisure & wellbeing, said it was "exceptionally disheartening" that the features were vandalised before even being used.

"We have worked hard with Nottinghamshire Police to lower anti-social behaviour in the area in recent times including using CCTV to identify culprits.

"In the last 12 months police have also been engaging with young people that in some cases led to home visits to speak to parents and saw arrests of those who refused to curb their criminal behaviour," he said.

Sgt Che Sands, from Nottinghamshire Police, said they took reports of vandalism at the park "very seriously" and they were working with the council to ensure high-visibility patrols were taking place routinely.

"Bridgford Park falls under a Public Spaces Protection Order, meaning any anti-social behaviour or criminal damage offences will be dealt with by either criminal or financial punishment regardless of age.

"We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in West Bridgford and continue our work to clamp down on it," he said.

The council has urged anyone with information on the vandalism to contact them.

The authority said the new features were still due to open in the coming weeks following a £300,000 investment.

They include a new climbing structure as well as a "balancing trim trail, social hammocks and inclusive equipment".

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