'˜Dismayed': Parish Council condemns vandalism at Lancing recreation ground

In one of the most recent incidents the ground’s parkour facility, which Lancing Parish Council helped to fund by obtaining grants, was damaged – leaving it ‘unsafe and unusable’.

In a statement, Lancing Parish Council said: “We are dismayed by a group of young people who appear to be consistently targeting Monks Recreation Ground and surrounding area with apparent wilful vandalism at present.

“The Parkour has been particularly singled out, with fires being lit, the gym-poles being wrenched off and sections of the concrete being smashed, rendering the facility unsafe and unusable.

“Recently, rubbish bins have been set on fire at both Monks and Croshaw recs, wrecked bicycles left strewn around and windows to the rear of the Tabernacle building have been smashed through by someone purportedly using a catapult.

“All incidents have been reported to the police, but it is unclear whether any additional patrols will be made in the area to tackle the issue.”

Police confirmed that reports of signs being damaged at the recreation ground were received on Sunday (July, 19).

A spokesman said: “Officers in Lancing are aware of issues being reported and have met with the Joint Action Team to talk about the issue of damage at the site.”

Sergeant Ian Cooke said the recreation ground is part of their routine patrols.

The Parish Council is asking all residents to be vigilant and to report any suspicious actions to police by calling 101, emailing [email protected] or using the online form at https://report.police.uk/