Boston Central Park gates to be locked overnight

Police said there had been concern over growing anti-social behaviour in the park over the last year

Gates on a park are to be locked overnight for a year-long trial aimed at cutting anti-social behaviour.

A security firm will be hired to shut and open Boston's Central Park each night, councillors agreed.

Lincolnshire Police said 144 incidents had been reported in the park between April 2020 and April 2021, compared to 101 in the previous year.

The times the park will be shut has not yet been agreed, but councillors have suggested 22:00 to 06:00.

Councillor Neil John Hastie said he frequently received calls from residents about the park.

"It's in the early hours of the morning saying there's music playing, there's shouting, screaming and there's bottles being thrown around."

A police report said of the 144 incidents reported the majority were outside daytime hours.

Boston Borough Council was told the Boston Neighbourhood Policing team had been so concerned about the volume of incidents it had deployed officers in plain clothes on several occasions in the park.

They had to engage and break up groups as late as midnight, who were playing loud music and being rowdy.

During the first coronavirus lockdown, between March and April 2020, the park gates had been locked at the request of the police and incidents dropped to zero, councillors were told.

The security firm will cost £16,500 for the year, plus additional fees if locking the gates takes longer than two hours.