Out Of Hand

After a successful Carnival on Saturday 13 June, things were somewhat spoilt in the early evening just after 5pm,, by several acts of vandalism and unpleasantness by kids and unscrupilous youths.

While carnival volunteers were clearing the showground,, several groups of youths could be seen prowling around the park, setting light to the new bins. Also,, while the Carnival Chairman was clearing up, near the changing rooms, without noticing the incident at the time, it would appear that a group of youths smashed a window in a police car parked near by. It was reported to the two police officers, who then cleared up the broken glass-and then seem to leave straight away!?

Once the police had left, things seem to kick off, so to speak…
Two motorbikes/scooters could be seen racing up and down the new driveway and skidding about on the gravel near Hale Hall Gardens.
While volunteers cleared up on the footy side, of the park,, youths in a sports car came onto the pitch showing off.

Other cars with 2 or 3 youths in, could be seen driving up and down the driveway at speed. Youths could be seen sitting around drinking alcohol, one lad was seen walking into the park drinking wine, from a freshly filled up wine glass – and then throwing his empty glass onto the folded up tables, volunteers where about to pack away!

Later on in the evening, local kids of about 8 or 9 years of age pulled down the bunting/flags and had a string of this stretched across the road, from Pepper Street across the road of Town Lane to the nearby lamppost. As cars stopped in the road, abuse and bad language was hurled at motorists, who got out to remove the flags obstructing Town Lane.

I don’t think there is any need for this sort of thing in a village like this, especially now the parkland has been done up.. Possibly if the presence of the police in the park and in the village on the day, had been lengthened, may be such behaviour would not have happened?