‘Mindless vandals’ smash town’s Christmas lights

“MINDLESS vandals” have been blasted for damaging Christmas decorations in Southport town centre.

Just hours after the Christmas light switch-on last week, groups of youths were reported breaking and removing parts of the displays.

One Visiter reader said she saw two teenage girls damaging star decorations, on the Lord Street/ Albert Road roundabout, the night of the switch-on.

Other incidents since reported being cut.

In recent years, Southport BID has invested in hundreds of thousands of lights for the town centre.

BID chief executive Hugh Evans said: “Just days after the most successful include wires Christmas lights switch-on we’ve seen in our town it seems that a group of teenagers are doing their upmost to damage the lights themselves. We’ve had reports of teenagers deliberately trying to vandalise the decorations on the Fire Station roundabout.

“We’ve also got evidence that some of the wiring for the tree lights on Chapel Street and Lord Street has been deliberately cut with a knife we presume by the same group. These are just acts of mindless vandalism.

“Apart from the fact that it costs money for repairs it’s staggering to believe that anyone would actually want to set out to damage our town’s festive decorations”.