Teenagers ignore security guard at vandalised Biggleswade playground

A group of teenagers gained access to a vandalised Biggleswade play area despite being challenged by a security guard.

Vandals branded “abominable people” by a town councillor caused damage to wooden play equipment and to the foundations at Franklin recreation ground, last month.

The intruders made their way beyond a barrier and walked over the grass in the latest incident, although no further damage was caused, a town council meeting was told.

Play equipment worth around £100,000 is due to be installed at the site, off Mill Lane.

Minutes from a previous meeting reported that officers have been “mitigating the effect of the vandalism” and that the contractor was recovering some of the lost time this has caused.

The report suggested: “The contractor is now working to a mid-April completion date. Council officers have contacted Bedfordshire Police about the damage.”

Town councillor David Albone wondered if there was any further progress over the renovation of the playground.

The council’s head of governance and strategic partnerships Karim Hosseini said: “Officers received an email from the security company noting there has been a further incursion around 7pm on Monday (March 27) evening.

“A group of youths walked through to the other side of the barrier. The security guard had told them not to do that.

“Some photographic evidence was taken of this happening. Once he called the police, they’d moved on. They were on site for about five minutes.

“They’d not touched any of the equipment or the black matting which has been put down, but they’d been traipsing through over the grass.

“The contractor spotted that yesterday (Tuesday, March 28) morning and isn’t too pleased with the whole situation, but will continue to do the work essentially.

“A crime reference number will be generated shortly by the police,” he explained. “We’re retrieving the images from the camera that’s in place and we’ll share those as and when we need to with the police.”

Town councillor Hazel Ramsay asked: “Do we have any idea of the age of these youngsters?” Mr Hosseini replied: “Mid-teens we’d say for this particular one.”

Mayor Grant Fage added: “Old enough to know better.”

The worst of the three earlier incidents resulted in considerable damage to the play equipment and the works beneath, the council heard previously.

Installation works had to be halted by the contractor, with multiple holes needing to be dug again, while trenches were filled in with bits of wood and other material.

The surfaces under the play equipment needed relaying as well. It had been planned to open the revamped recreation ground by the end of this month.

Town councillor Duncan Strachan described the vandalism incident as “absolutely appalling”, adding: “These abominable people are beneath contempt.”

And deputy mayor Madeline Russell called on councillors “to think long-term how we look after that area”, warning: “There’ll be a greater cost to council taxpayers because of the need for further site security.”