Glasgow Times

Two charged after woodland garden hit by devastatin­g fire

- BY HAMISH MORRISON

AN East End community park was ravaged by fire causing £5000 worth of damage, according to park bosses. Emergency services tackled a blaze at Mount Vernon Community Hall’s woodland garden at around 12.30am this morning.

Fire services tackled the blaze but a wooden train in the children’s play park was almost completely destroyed in the fire.

Two 18-year-olds have been arrested and charged in connection with the fire and no one was injured.

Mark Donovan, of Mount Vernon Community Hall, said: “We’ve been having issues with local youths and some from further afield for a few months now.

“I live right across from the park and at the weekend I could see that with lockdown being eased that the park was really busy with no social distancing, so there’s a bit of you that always expects the worst when these things happen.

“With all the foliage overgrown at this time of the year, I knew there was some kind of antisocial behaviour going on to some extent.”

The community has had problems with vandalism and antisocial behaviour in the past – most recently a log cabin went missing from the park, Mark said, as well as an incident in February when a volunteer was assaulted.

Mark added: “The other thing that’s come to light this morning is that the street lighting around the hall hadn’t been working, so it was in total darkness. Obviously that just encourages antisocial behaviour.”

Mark estimates the fire caused around £5000 in damage but said he has been contacted by locals who were moved by a post on Facebook to donate to a fundraiser if the group were to set one up.

He said he had also been contacted by an individual who owns a building firm who wants to help rebuild the park.

A post on the Mount Vernon Community Hall’s Facebook reads: “Devastated is an understate­ment. Over £5000 in damage caused last night in the community woodland area.

“Our volunteers, many who are key workers and have young children, are left to deal with this.

“Thanks to the police and fire brigade who were out at midnight last night trying put this out in order to stop the potential spread throughout the woodland area and neighbouri­ng properties.

“Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable, setting fires in a woodland area is highly irresponsi­ble.

“Please forward any informatio­n on to Shettlesto­n police station with regards to this incident.

“We also hope that people were not seriously hurt during this.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoma­n said: “We received a report of a fire in Mount Vernon Park, Glasgow, around 11.50pm on Sunday, May 31. Nobody was injured. Two men, aged 18 and 19, have been charged in connection with the incident.

“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

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 ??  ?? A wooden train in the children’s play park was destroyed
A wooden train in the children’s play park was destroyed

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