A vandal who caused tyre damage to a park in Warsop has been identified and issued a fine thanks to new CCTV in the area.
The damage to Carr Lane Park was caused in early March, and an appeal was put out on social media by Mansfield District Council to gather more information on the incident.
Thanks to newly installed CCTV cameras on the park last year, funded through the Safer Streets 4 project, the vehicle that caused the damage was immediately identified, and the information was passed on to Nottinghamshire Police.
The individual has since been interviewed, admitted to causing the damage, and has agreed to pay the cost of the repair work, which has been valued at £350.
David Evans, Head of Health and Communities, said: “This is a fantastic outcome that demonstrates the value of our CCTV team, who are the eyes in the sky keeping our district safe.
“It is also encouraging that catching this individual was made possible thanks to the Safer Streets 4 funding, which the council received last year to implement safety measures in Warsop. Measures included eight new high-definition CCTV cameras, refuge points, safe spaces, and Holly Guard app awareness training.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to report this incident to us; it just shows the success of community support when mindless acts of vandalism happen in our district. We are pleased that, in this case, we were able to track down the perpetrator and fine them. When people abuse or damage our parks and open spaces, it will be treated as criminal damage and reported to the police. This is to ensure they remain safe for everyone to enjoy.”
The council is continuing to work with Nottinghamshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner as the rollout of the Safer Streets 5 project gets underway.
As part of a £133,000 investment, new CCTV cameras and refuge points have already been installed in the town centre, and trees and foliage have been trimmed to improve lighting and visibility.
The project will also see a new street guardianship scheme in partnership with St. John’s Ambulance, which will provide support and first aid to partygoers on weekends.
There will also be renewed promotion of the Ask for Angela scheme, which enables women who feel in danger to discreetly ask venue staff for help, and a youth intervention scheme with Switch Up that aims to break the cycle of offending and reoffending.