Villagers hope CCTV clue will help end 'daily battle' with vandals

COMMUNITY sports facilities have been destroyed and broken glass has been strewn across a children’s playground in Bransgore.

The damage, which was reported to Bransgore Parish Council last week, saw a table tennis table ripped from its base, sports nets pulled down from a multi-use games area and guttering ripped from the village hall on Burley Road.

Bransgore parish clerk Edwin Macknamara said: “It has become a daily battle with vandals – we constantly have reports of smashed glass in the recreation ground play area and across the skate park.

"The problems began a few months ago – but we have been getting more and more reports of young people hanging around at night.”

During the latest incident, vandals forced their way into the parish council-owned multi-use games area, before ripping the nets down from the netball rings and abandoning them elsewhere on the recreation ground.

Mr Macknamara said: “I would say the bill for the latest damage will run to at least a few hundred pounds.

“The table tennis table, which was bolted to a concrete base, was rocked until the bolts snapped, and the aluminium leg is also damaged.

“We are hoping very much that it will be repairable – because if it can’t be fixed it will just be taken out and removed.

“We have a thriving table tennis club and the table is in steady use throughout the summer so it would be a real shame if the mindless behaviour of a few spoilt it for everyone.”

The parish council has CCTV footage of the incidents which will be passed to the police.

Mr Macknamara added: “We think the culprits may well be identifiable from the footage we have – but that will be a matter for the police.”

“We will also be speaking to them about increasing their evening patrols in the village with a particular focus on the recreation ground and village hall.

“Most of the damage in the last few months has been fairly minor but it is still very disruptive.”