Ashdown Forest vandal repays cost of defaced signs

Black spray was used to deface one parking information sign

A man who admitted damaging parking signs at a forest in East Sussex has repaid the cost of repairing and replacing them, police say.

Signs were removed and vandalised on numerous occasions across 18 of Ashdown Forest's car parks in recent months.

Sussex Police said a 56-year-old man was arrested on 19 October and his fingerprints were later identified on some of the damaged signs.

The force said he admitted damaging 20 signs and has repaid £2,753.

Ashdown Forest is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is famous as being the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood, the setting of AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh books.

The vandalism began after forest officials introduced parking charges in November 2022, to raise money to help maintain the historic wood.

The charges range from £2 for an hour to £5 for all day, or £80 for an annual pass.

Conservators of Ashdown Forest said the loss of income and cost of replacing the signs had been "significant".

Signs were removed and discarded in bushes in car parks across the forest

Ashdown Forest's countryside manager, Ashley Walmsley, said: "We were distressed by the damage to our signs which upset our visitors, wasted our time, and cost money that we would otherwise have used to improve forest infrastructure.

"We are thankful for the report provided by a member of the public that led to the arrest and put an end to this extreme behaviour."

PC Pete Hall, from Sussex Police's rural crime team, said: "There are consequences for behaviour of this kind.

"Anyone identified as being responsible for damaging or defacing signage on the forest will be dealt with.

"This particular individual has been hit with a hefty financial penalty."

Forest officials said the signs had been strengthened to prevent similar damage in the future.

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