'Mindless' yobs smash 55 windows at Blackburn Park (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
'Mindless' yobs smash 55 windows at Blackburn Park
10:42am Friday 21st September 2012 in News
By Jessica Cree, Education reporter
‘MINDLESS’ yobs caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to a Blackburn park.
Fifty-five windows at the conservatory in Corporation Park were smashed by a gang of four youths, who were thought to have used bricks, sticks and metal bars to shatter the glass panes.
It is the second incident at the park in the last week, with the site’s ‘irreplaceable’ Flora statue being smashed in an early morning attack.
The vandalism, which happened at around 9.15pm on Wednesday, was caught on CCTV and police are now working with park wardens and residents to identify those responsible.
Park manager Eddie Maxwell said a huge part of the heritage of the town centre green haven had now been lost.
He said: “It is disgusting, mindless, systematic vandalism.
“It is £10,000 which the council will struggle to find because of the budget constraints.
“It is an expense we could do without at the moment, times are really hard.
“I feel sorry for the park users, we have a group of people dedicated to raising the profile of the park and it is just a kick in the teeth for their constant year-round efforts.”
The conservatory, which was built in 1900, currently houses exotic plants and a Heritage Lottery bid for £1.8million had been submitted to create an education centre and cafe, although this was recently turned down.
Sue Riley, 62, from Whalley, uses the park to walk her daughter’s dog and said she was angry that such damage had been done.
She said: “It is awful, it is such a beautiful building.
“It is such a shame and a needless crime and those responsible should be made to put the panes of glass back in to pay for what they have done.”
Sgt Conrad Tapp said: “This is mindless criminal damage which will cost thousands of pounds to repair.
“We need the public’s help to catch those responsible and I would appeal to anybody that witnessed any youths in the area, either prior to, or around the time of the offence to contact police.”
“We are currently pursuing a number of positive lines of enquiry but anyone with any information should call Lancashire Police on 101.”
Corporation Park has fallen victim to several incidents of vandalism over recent years.
Incidents have included £5,000 of damage to railings and walls near the tennis courts and pavillion and two lion head castings being stolen from the cenotaph.
The conservatory has also repeatedly had windows smashed by vandals throwing stones, but never to the extent of Wednesday night’s incident.
Additional police are now set to patrol the area.
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (64)
10:45am Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
Once caught, and when found guilty in a court of British Law, the punishment should be simple:
- hung, drawn and quartered
Why do we use prisons as a way of punishment!! They dont work!!
Remove the scum and let the good prosper!
10:47am Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
How much more is one bloke meant to take......
10:51am Fri 21 Sep 12
Jack Herer says...
11:01am Fri 21 Sep 12
Mitchellgd says...
11:02am Fri 21 Sep 12
Black Car Guy. says...
11:04am Fri 21 Sep 12
district01 says...
Name and shame is the only way to help stop this from happening again. They did it so they should face the consequences instead of the usual telling off which is all too often the case simply because they are not old enough to be dealt with in any other way!
11:06am Fri 21 Sep 12
thoroughbred says...
What use is CCTV, if you can't plaster their soul-less faces all over the media in 2 whole days?
11:09am Fri 21 Sep 12
darwenTower says...
I'm sick of it.
I also fear the time has come to police our own streets.
11:13am Fri 21 Sep 12
Joseph O'M says...
11:15am Fri 21 Sep 12
Darwen Malc says...
Then bring back stocks for anyone, irrespective of age, and humiliate them in the town centre!
11:16am Fri 21 Sep 12
Noiticer says...
11:27am Fri 21 Sep 12
jimpy0 says...
11:28am Fri 21 Sep 12
ladysal says...
11:40am Fri 21 Sep 12
Is Eckersley playing? says...
11:40am Fri 21 Sep 12
norah bhatty says...
MAKE THEM PAY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS, but if they are underage, claim the money from the parents. Deduct the money at source - benefit money, wages or whatever it takes to ensure that those responsible PAY.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to release photographs of these idiots, so that decent people know who they are.
They spend their time wrecking decent structures etc, put more pressure on the Police re all the paperwork and will probably get away with it - we should not let this happen - hit them where it hurts - their pockets.
11:43am Fri 21 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
11:47am Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
If someones on Benefits then its our money (i.e. the workers) anyway!
So all we would be doing is taking our own cash back!!
Why are people so "soft"? The PC brigade are taking over!
11:50am Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
The nearest punishment I could come up with would be a tattoo on there heads that says:
"I AM A GUILTY SCUM BAG THAT IS OWNED BY THE STATE"
12:09pm Fri 21 Sep 12
norah bhatty says...
Of course it is our money which is used to pay benefits, but if an amount is deducted at source, then less of our money will be taken, and the real benefit being that the deduction hits them where it hurts.
Our money is being used to fund a lot of things, none less than the scandal of the banking industry, so, even though it would be a minimal amount deducted, these idiots won't like it - by whatever means - MAKE THEM PAY EVEN FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS IF NECESSARY.
12:11pm Fri 21 Sep 12
moh says...
12:19pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
12:33pm Fri 21 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
Residents!
12:37pm Fri 21 Sep 12
useyourhead says...
-
if nothing else they will be too busy to re-offend for a year while they think on it!
12:46pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
12:48pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
1:10pm Fri 21 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
1:47pm Fri 21 Sep 12
in it to win it says...
I'm sureEddie Maxwell would like to dish out his own bit of justice though.
see you tonight Ted. Kean out.
2:36pm Fri 21 Sep 12
Mephisto says...
If we address the problem, we can generate solutions. If we react to the effects of the problem, we are no better than failed, authoritarian states (where, as it happens, capital punishment and torture do little to reduce crime).
Calls for torture and mass murder are nothing other than psychotic. Our forefathers may as well have let the Nazis or the Soviets in.
2:43pm Fri 21 Sep 12
Mephisto says...
3:11pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
If you are decent good living humans then you would have nothing to worry about.
Although your comments about the US are probably correct
3:14pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
3:17pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
Me and Maxell couldn't save the Queens Park Working Men's Club, but we will do our best to save the park!
3:35pm Fri 21 Sep 12
jack daniels says...
You class yourself as decent, good living human, yet slander people because of their relationship statue/parents.
You can't even raise a valid point - never mind a child.
3:36pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
I've 7 Children
And I don't write the rules, God does
3:45pm Fri 21 Sep 12
jack daniels says...
I should of expected a fruit nut god botherer to have a narrow minded bigoted holier than thou - uncompassionate attitude. Strange also that Mohammed was orphaned at an early age (no parents) and the less said about jesus' parentage the better.....
God came INTO me... sorry UNTO me Joseph, Honest....
3:50pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
4:19pm Fri 21 Sep 12
woolywords says...
Some years ago, I was part of a group that fought against the permanent closure of this arboretum, which is it's proper name, since it has full grown succulent trees growing in one of it's wings.
What was the point of smashing up the statue of Flora? It has stood there for longer than many of the people of this town have lived, only to be destroyed by people with no moral compass. How can you justify such utter and complete acts of stupidity?
Corporation Park was a place of leisure to working classes that only just gained the leisure time, that you take for granted, after working a six day working week. Those self same people that contributed from their own low wages to support the park in many ways. From it's very inception it was a place for all people, not just a select few.
What you have done is to stir up more hatred and loathing towards those of your age group. Who would employ someone from your area, after you do this kind of thing?
It is a civic duty of anyone that knows of whom did this to step forward and make sure that they are brought to justice, to show that you may live amongst them but that you are not like them.
5:13pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
5:28pm Fri 21 Sep 12
norah bhatty says...
Probably what the nasty yobs who did the damage already knew - nobody would see them unless CCTV was up and running and has captured the act of vandalism. It may be time for park rangers to be deployed more often, especially in the evenings, problem being that the council may not be able to afford the wage(s) due to the cut-backs.
I sincerely hope the offenders are caught, and not dealt with leniently. Make them pay for all the damage, and slap a hefty fine into the mix as well. Probably won't happen though, the thugs escape scot-free yet again.
5:29pm Fri 21 Sep 12
brfcianbrfc says...
Anyone agree ???
5:32pm Fri 21 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
5:52pm Fri 21 Sep 12
norah bhatty says...
6:10pm Fri 21 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
Your softly softly approach to discipline doesn't work.
I forgive you all
Who's marking Jordan Rhodes!! 1-0 pick it out!!
7:33pm Fri 21 Sep 12
Ian123xyz says...
7:36pm Fri 21 Sep 12
jack daniels says...
7:42pm Fri 21 Sep 12
jack daniels says...
9:22pm Fri 21 Sep 12
timeforcommonsense says...
9:39pm Fri 21 Sep 12
Enlightened Patriot says...
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=hytVze1Ib
9E&feature=youtu.be
6:20am Sat 22 Sep 12
woolywords says...
I carefully crafted my words to make sure that anyone, regardless of ethnic origin, got the simple message, this was not right.
For you, to make this a race issue is to denigrate yourselves, without knowing the full facts.
How would it be if some groups of Sub-asian youth took it upon themselves to protect the same place, much as they do a mosque, to prevent any future attacks?
Would any of the white kids join them?
Should their parents let them join, with like minded youths, to protect their gifted heritage?
Am not a lover of the muslim ideology but when you people consistantly shout the odds about a subject that you know little or nothing about, I have to turn sides and defend them, for I the abhor senseless attacks that you do upon them.
Why do you feel the need to constantly assume it's them, the muslims, when there are many, many other races in this town. Where are your calls about the Scots, Welsh or Irish here, the Africans or even the Chinese?
Or have you some closely guarded bigotry, for just one group of us, where you feel the need to vent your spleen, just in these columns?
You make me ashamed to be the bigoted person that I am. At least I waded through the whole 9 volumes of Hadith, so as to speak to them in words, that they knew and I disagreed with. Whereas you, you idiot, hate without just cause.
Hate is a learned behavior. Like bigotry and prejudice, people learn these behaviors as they become products of their environment and culture group. Some culture their hatred by learning, others just hate, per se.
7:31am Sat 22 Sep 12
robbierocks says...
THEY ARE VERMIN SO STOP BEING SOFT ON CRIMINALS DO THE RIGHT THING MAKE THEM PAY IN SOCIETY.
12:15pm Sat 22 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
4:04pm Sat 22 Sep 12
makaveli96 says...
4:18pm Sat 22 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
6:03pm Sat 22 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
***king *****r
10:16am Sun 23 Sep 12
willerby says...
11:02am Sun 23 Sep 12
jack daniels says...
3:56pm Sun 23 Sep 12
tenerc says...
they can`t say they were "bored we aint got nofin to do av we" they have a multi million pound youth club.
so from now on, every time youths cause damage like this PUNISH THEM by taking it FROM THEM.
yes it will also effect the good ones, but hey i didn`t do the damage but i`m going to end up paying towards the repair like every adult in Blackburn.
now we have a way to fight back.
5:31pm Sun 23 Sep 12
2 for 5p says...
There is a invention called Perspex you know. Thick as a brick.
5:45pm Sun 23 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
I like it!
5:56pm Sun 23 Sep 12
timeforcommonsense says...
8:56pm Sun 23 Sep 12
sen c ble says...
For a person to state, 'I think you should change your name' is a statement of a unstable, confused, ambivalent, wicked witch.
Rather than just limiting CP as a no go area, your type of evil low lifers, such as GIBBUK, should expand the no go borders and set it so that all areas on this planet is prohibited. In another words f*****f.
Sen.
11:55pm Sun 23 Sep 12
abcshopping934 says...
Share a website with you ,
( http://www.abcshoppi
ng.org/ )
Believe you will love it.
(jor dan shoes)
(NBA NFL NHL MLB jersey)
( lv handbag)
(cha nel wallet)
(D&G sunglasses)
(ed har dy jacket)
WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARD /WESTERN UNION PAYMENT
YOU MUST NOT MISS IT!!!
( http://www.abcshoppi
ng.org/ )
( http://www.abcshoppi
ng.org/ )
10:46am Mon 24 Sep 12
timeforcommonsense says...
d your done.
11:40am Mon 24 Sep 12
sen c ble says...