The incidents included broken benches, fences and poppy wreaths being thrown around the memorial gardens
The incidents come with high clean up costs(Image: Melton Mowbray Town Estate)
A “devastating” wave of vandalism has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in a Leicestershire town.
The incidents, which included arson attacks, have caused costly damage to Melton’s parks and gardens.
Melton Mowbray Town Estate, which maintains the town’s green spaces, said that last year alone the maintenance costs for the parks ran into tens of thousands of pounds, with the vast majority attributable to criminal damage.
According to the charity, the recent incidents included the destruction of 70 security fencing panels and the arson of seven historic Victorian benches, valued at £1,400 each.
Poppy wreaths from the Remembrance Day service were also thrown around the memorial gardens.
Seven historic Victorian benches were damaged(Image: Melton Mowbray Town Estate)
The cost of repairs to the estate following these incidents, such as hiring tree surgeons and paying staff for extra litter picking, diverts limited resources from other park activities.
The charity, which relies on a modest income to maintain the town’s green spaces and host numerous community events, including the Christmas markets, Easter egg hunts, and the new Summer Season at the Events Village, said it is seeing its limited resources depleted by anti-social behaviour.
Dean Rees, chief exec of Melton Mowbray Town Estate, said: “We understand the complaints that the fencing is unattractive, but it is a critical security measure.
“The newly converted bar container units were very expensive for our supplier to build. The fencing is there to prevent arson, deter vandalism, and safely manage our licensed capacity of 500 people so we can keep running events for the community.
“Every pound spent repairing senseless damage is a pound taken away from improving the town’s parks and hosting local events. This kind of vandalism also has a knock-on effect on wildlife in and around the parks and the river.”
The Town Estate is urging residents to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.
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