Football playing youths damaging park bowling green

The most recent incident happened on Sunday afternoon, when there are no park staff working, and the borough council and police have teamed up to ask the public to report the issue when they see it.

Signs banning football in the bowling green had been put up by the council after the first reported incident but they were ripped down the following day.

New signs will be put up but the public are being urged that their support is vital to stop the problem.

Community Beat Manager, Pc Martyn Chambers said: “Naturally, we have competing demands on our resources which influences the amount of time officers are visibly on patrol in the park so we continue to urge members of the public to report incidents of anti-social behaviour as soon as they witness it in order that we can respond as effectively as possible.”

Coun Yvonne Gunter, the council’s portfolio holder for parks and open spaces, said there isn’t the money available to have park staff working round-the-clock and, when they are working, their duties take in other public open spaces.

Coun Gunter added: “They are also not the police and, although some do confront those committing acts of anti-social behaviour they are not expected to deal with potentially violent individuals.

“It is at such times that we rely on the public to alert the police to anti-social behaviour occurring in the park.

“We have already asked that members of the public act as our eyes and ears and make a call on 101.”