Vandals attack BMX track
Thursday 2nd April 2009, 9:50AM BST.
A newly refurbished BMX track has been targeted by vandals who smashed bottles and blocked the track with a bench.
The Monkmoor track, which backs on to Belvidere Primary School, has attracted hundreds of children since its reopening two weeks ago.
But the school has experienced problems which reached a peak yesterday when teachers arrived to find a picnic bench in pieces on the playing field, and another lying on top of the BMX ramp.
Headteacher Dave Hopkins said the track was popular with his pupils.
“I think it’s an excellent idea and the BMX track is obviously very well used by the kids.
“They go there before and after school and they love playing there,” he said.
“But what I’m concerned about is the responsibilities that go with having something like that.
“I believe there are health and safety issues with the site as it is now.
“The children love to go there but I don’t feel I can recommend that they do that. I think it would be dangerous, and we’ve got issues in that we’re getting broken glass on our field from the site.”
Mr Hopkins said he had reported his concerns about the damage to Shropshire Council’s leisure services department.
Steve Cunningham, of Shropshire Council, said despite the damage the BMX track was very successful.
He said: “It is serving its purpose of being really well used but there are obviously some people who are not using it as they should.”
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I used to spend hours on that track as a kid – there used to be a few of us who’d gather over there and have some great fun. Sadly, in the mid 90′s it was taken over by teenagers (and some much older who should have known better) and they ruined one of the few places that kids could play safely in that area. It’s sad to hear this news now, what do people get out of behaving like this and why is it too much to ask to have some decency these days?
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typical of the working classes to destroy their own stuff, this is taxpayers money that clown brown thinks is best spent on the ghettos, we could have had tax breaks or something useful not a pile of mud for the hoodies to vandalise
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typical of these communities to break their own stuff
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