Town Estate counts the cost of a series of vandal attacks on community assets
The cost of repairs from a series of vandal attacks this year is impacting Melton Mowbray Town Estate’s ability to put on free events.
Recent incidents included a break-in at the ice cream kiosk, significant damage to a storage shed and the sabotage of work to clear a pond of vegetation.
There has been a number of social media comments querying why the Town Estate charges for some events, such as the upcoming fireworks display, when they have been free in the past.
The charity says it operates as a registered charity and points out that every pound spent must be carefully managed to ensure the long-term preservation and upkeep of the town’s parks and public amenities.
The Town Estate says ‘significant funds’ that could otherwise support community events and park improvements are increasingly being diverted to repair deliberate damage to its property.
Alex McHarg, acting CEO of Melton Mowbray Town Estate, said: "As a charity, we have a fundamental duty to manage our funds responsibly.
"While we understand the community’s fondness for free events, the ongoing necessity to cover repair costs caused by vandalism directly impacts our budget.
"Charging for certain events helps ensure we can continue to protect, maintain, and enhance our beautiful parklands for everyone to enjoy."
In those recent vandal attacks, the kiosk incident resulted in the Town Estate having to pay for a new roller door, a deep-clean operation, and replacement locks and fittings.
Little was stolen and a few cans of squirty cream were sprayed around the interior but the damage ‘caused substantial financial harm’ to the charity.
The small storage shed involved in another incident belonged to Melton & Oakham Waterways Society – it was damaged beyond repair so team members from the Town Estate had to completely demolish it.
In the pond incident, piles of cleared vegetation which had been left for collection were deliberately thrown back into the water.
This required the charity to buy specialised equipment to safely retrieve the debris a second time.
The Town Estate encourages the local community to report any suspicious activity in the parks to local authorities to help prevent further misuse of community assets.