Ratepayers to foot bill for park vandalism

Belfast ratepayers will have to foot the bill for a spate of vandalism which has caused hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage in Ormeau Park, the city council warned.

Councillors said some children will have to go without play facilities and residents without other important services because of the cost of the persistent vandalism.

Damage to vehicles and equipment in a series of attacks over the New Year period will cost well over £200,000 (€303,200) to rectify, the monthly meeting of the council’s parks and amenities sub-committee was told.

During a series of attacks on Ormeau Park and the neighbouring Cherryvale Playing Fields, vandals broke into the main Parks Department depot and smashed all the widows in a dozen vans before hot-wiring a tractor and mechanical street-sweeper.

They took the vehicles on a “rally” across the park, smashing park benches and ripping out waste bins and shelters before targeting the pavilion at the playing fields.

A couple of days later the vandals returned and smashed all the windows in vans the council had hired to replaced those damaged.

CCTV footage of the attacks on the depot are being studied by police, but a council spokesman said: “Its the old story, they are not put off by the cameras.

“Its a soft target and they probably know there is no one at this isolated spot after 4.30pm each day.”

A major review of security at council property is being carried out, and the council said it would have “major cost implications”.

The council parks committee warned repairing damage and strengthening security would have a “dramatic effect” on council finances, especially as it was setting the level of rates for the coming year. It would have no alternative but to retrieve the money from the rate payers.

Committee chairman, Councillor Margaret Crooks, said: “This is an extremely serious situation and the Council has no alternative but to find this money from the ratepayers of Belfast.”

She added: “There is much need for improved facilities in the city and the type of damage that has been witnessed over the past number of weeks has meant in reality that children in some areas will have to go without play facilities and residents without other important services.”