Anger over broken car park CCTV
A PENSIONER has been left angered after his car was vandalised at a Metrolink station but there was no CCTV of the culprits as the cameras were broken.
Peter Bulger, 75, of Cheadle, had left his Volkswagen Passat at Parrs Wood station, where the vehicle had its sliding sun roof smashed.
The grandad reported the vandalism to police but says officers told him ‘it wasn’t in the public interest’ to investigate the crime with so little evidence.
When he tried to get Transport for Greater Manchester to send CCTV footage to the police - in a bid to kick start an investigation - he was told there was none.
Peter said: “They have just given me the runaround when I asked about footage and eventually came up with a pathetic excuse that the camera was broken. But when my neighbour stayed longer than he should he got a parking ticket from an ANPR camera, so when it comes to making money they work then.
“My car was parked at the nearest point to the tram line, so if anywhere should be covered by CCTV it should be there. People are going to stop using the tram as it is just not safe to leave your car.
“The motive was not robbery it was just mindless vandalism. The police told me they were not going to investigate and just gave me a crime number, which is very unsatisfactory.”
Peter had gone into Manchester city centre for a trip to the cinema with his wife Christine on March 13.
He left the car at around 4pm and returned around 7.30pm. He asked for help with CCTV footage on the same day and was finally told the camera was broken on Tuesday of last week.
TfGM told him: “We have no footage covering that part of the car park. Footage is held for 31 days before being automatically overwritten. We do have a camera covering that part of the car park, but due to apparent vandalism there was no footage available from it. This has now been reported to be fixed.”
A TfGM spokesperson said: “For the safety and security of Metrolink’s customers the East Didsbury Park and Ride car park is covered by CCTV.
“Unfortunately the camera covering Mr Bulger’s car had been vandalised, which means we were unable to supply footage to the police. We have asked the operator Keolis Amey Metrolink to repair it as soon as possible.”
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for comment.