Recent Vandalism and Antisocial Behaviour at Recreation Ground

The Town Council is urging residents who witness antisocial behaviour or vandalism to Town Council-maintained property to report it to the police.

The message follows a spate of vandalism to the children’s play area situated next to the Western Road Recreation Ground in recent days, whereby damage has been caused to some items of play equipment.

The Town Council is appealing for information relating to this particular incident of vandalism and any others that occur in the future. Any future incidents should be reported to the police immediately by calling 101.

Town-Council maintained land and property includes the following:

• Children’s play areas (Western Road; Battle Road; Stroma Gardens; Quinnell Drive; Maurice Thornton Playing Field)
• Outdoor gyms/exercise equipment (Western Road; Maurice Thornton Playing Field
• Skate park (Maurice Thornton Playing Field)
• Parks and open spaces (Hailsham Country Park; Common Pond; Western Road Recreation Ground; Maurice Thornton Playing Field)
• Allotment sites (Battle Road; Station Road; Harold Avenue)
• Hailsham Cemetery (Ersham Road)
• Buildings (Town Council offices – Market Street; Station Youth Centre – Western Road; James West Community Centre – Brunel Drive)

A full list of land and properties maintained by the Town Council is available at hailsham-tc.gov.uk.

“We are appalled by the recent spate of vandalism at the Western Road Recreation Ground children’s play area,” said Town Mayor Cllr Paul Holbrook. “This is vandalism on a facility used daily by our community and is unacceptable anti-social behaviour.”

“A lot of money and time goes into maintaining the town’s play areas and providing these much-needed facilities for children in the local community so, if anyone has any information regarding the recent and future incidents or witnessed any behaviour on Town Council land that looks suspicious, please report it to Sussex Police as early as possible.”

Cllr Holbrook added: “It’s not immediately obvious what the motive of these recent acts of vandalism was, other than to spoil residents’ enjoyment of these much-needed community facilities.”