Security guard may be employed at park (From Ledbury Reporter)
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Security guard may be employed at park
3:00pm Friday 14th September 2012 in News By Gary Bills-Geddes
A WORKING party to look into littering, anti-social behaviour and late night noise on the recreation ground is to be set up by Ledbury Town Council.
The outcome could lead to a security guard being appointed by next summer.
The police have already promised extra patrols, but town councillors are not ruling out spending thousands of pounds to put private security on the site.
Speaking at an environment and leisure meeting in the Market House last week, Coun Martin Eager said: “We need a working party for the recreation ground, with the possibility of appointing a security guard.”
This was agreed among councillors, but an earlier proposal, to set aside funds to pay for a security guard next year, or to pay for other measures, was not put to the vote.
It would not be the first time that the town council has paid for a security guard.
In 2001, the council forked out £4,621 for a guard, who spent 600 hours on the site, after persistent reports of smashed glass in the children’s play areas.
Another idea put forward was to impose a curfew on the site, to prevent youths from gathering there after 10pm.
But Coun Rob Yeoman said: “You can make that rule, but how do you enforce it?”
Coun Chris Ridler said: “There simply aren’t sufficient funds for police to go round there every half hour.”
But Coun Eager responded: “Local residents should not have to put up with drunken and abusive yobs who have no right to live in this town.”
Coun Jayne Roberts said: “It’s not always kids. I saw a gang in the playbuilder park on the recreation ground, and they were not kids, but fruit pickers having a whale of a time.
“There were cans everywhere, and bottles.
“In the summer months we are inundated by people who are not our own, with views of how to behave that are different to our own, and some of our kids will follow suit.”
The recreation ground has suffered from a number of problems in recent months including damage to the war memorial plaque, late night drinking, noise, verbal abuse and littering.
