Vandalism a pain for local communities
VANDALISM in the district is causing concern for locals after a significant among of damage was done in the local areas of Courtown and Riverchapel.
A couple of hundred euro worth of damage was done at the Riverchapel BMX track that has been closed in recent weeks, while a beach side noticeboard close to the Burrow Road in Courtown was struck and completely smashed multiple times.
Speaking to Craig Lang of the Riverchapel Community Complex group, he described being shocked when he came across the damage at the BMX track.
‘The fence had been pulled down, about two metres of fencing was ripped down so that the people could get access to the track. They took the locks off the gates and I caught a couple of people at it.
‘Yhey simply don’t realise how dangerous a track like that can be when it’s used unsupervised.
‘We had to install new locks and fence panels. It’ll cost us about €300 just for that but we put concrete in the fence and it’s now temporarily repaired. We don’t have CCTV but we have asked about getting it. There appears to be damage to the track itself as well, as there’s holes dug into it,’ he said.
Gardaí plan to do spot checks of the track in the evening while on patrol and have been given a set of keys to the main gates.
‘The majority of people have respected the closure but it’s tough times, people and parents need to be more vigilant in knowing where their kids are and what they’re doing. Kids are getting in and using the complex when they are not supposed to be playing together.
‘When the guards first asked me to close the track down, we got a bit of backlash about it and we just need a little bit more support,’ Craig said.
Meanwhile, significant damage was done to the noticeboard glass panels on the Burrow road.
One local who came across the damage described it as a ‘senseless act’ that was ‘obviously not an accident’.
Both gardaí and the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District have been informed of these incidents.