Election 2022: Park vandalism concerns in Exeter

Supporters of Pinces Gardens in Exeter said a "collective approach" was needed to help improve and protect it

Voters are preparing to go to the polls in Exeter on Thursday.

Seventeen of the 39 seats on the city council are up for election.

One issue for some is the maintenance of public parks, with recent damage caused by vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Supporters of Pinces Gardens and Cowick Barton Park, between Alphington and St Thomas, said community groups and agencies needed to come together to deal with incidents.

After some vandalism in the children's play park a few years ago, a group of local residents formed their own association.

New trees and their supports were pulled out of the ground three nights in a row

Alice Evans, of the Cowick Barton Roots Recreation Group, said: "We were very lucky to have a trampoline put in several years ago. It was fantastic and it was really great to see everyone enjoying it.

"Unfortunately it did get set on fire which was a real shame. Everyone was really devastated about it - that was when the residents and local people that make up the group started meeting and discussing how we can get things done in the park."

One of the first initiatives was to apply for a grant as part of the Queen's Green Canopy to mark the Jubilee.

The group received £1,800 to plant two trees, but the supports that surrounded them kept getting vandalised.

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John Taylor, secretary of the group, said: "Once the trees were planted everyone was really pleased.

"Then one evening people decided to vandalise the guards - they were pulled over and the trees were laid flat in the morning."

He said they replanted the trees and reset the guards but the same thing happened on a second and third night.

Ms Evans said the solution needed to be a collective approach.

She said: "You can't lock up the parks at night. The police do patrols, but can't be here constantly.

"CCTV would be great, but of course that could be evaded or [you could] move it to another area of the park. It needs to be a collective approach."