Must tackle vandalism
FEN Park looks as it's the latest to suffer criminal damage, following vandalism at Kensington Gardens and the horrible slaughter at Pet's Corner, near Nicholas Everitt Park.
FEN Park looks as it's the latest to suffer criminal damage, following vandalism at Kensington Gardens and the horrible slaughter at Pet's Corner, near Nicholas Everitt Park.
The damage to the Upper Esplanade wall and beach huts continues as usual. I would be surprised if Normanston Park and Sparrow's Nest have got away without damage.
Everyone must have noticed that this happens at the start of the milder weather and is mainly at weekends. This is when it becomes warm enough to be outside in the dark.
I suspect bored teenagers are mainly responsible. Drink and drugs are an important factor. Lads have been seen entering Kensington Gardens with bags of drink. Party time for them and the rest of us suffer. Destructiveness has been part of a certain kind of teenage boy's growing up since time immemorial but the availability of cheap drink and stoned parents is recent.
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The sunken garden at Kensington Gardens has been, and still would be, an ugly mess even without the recent trashing. This week some of the gates are locked and notices have appeared announcing closure after 9pm. What's the point when access is so easy from the Esplanande? The garden needs refurbishing and we need a park keeper.
The town needs to tackle its drug problem head on. It seems that the authorities accept that it will continue and are happy to ignore it so long as it isn't too obvious.
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Perhaps there should be a night time watch kept on these vulnerable public spaces when the weather gets warmer? A roster of local residents armed with digital cameras and flash might be worth a try. The police are never to be seen.
There is a need for more sensible activities for its teenagers in the town, perhaps in the very parks that are being trashed. Turning the old-fashioned sunken garden near the Claremont Pier into a covered skateboard/skating park would be an imaginative start. An exciting bike track could be built on the cliff just south of CEFAS. They could be free. They might even help our tourist industry.
DICK HOUGHTON
London Road South
Lowestoft
