Newark and Sherwood District Council appeals to parents this summer, after young people set ‘reckless’ fire in Sconce and Devon Park
A ‘reckless’ act of anti-social behaviour by a group of young people has left an award-winning park vandalised, damaged and burned.
To highlight the risks and dangers of starting fires in public parks, Newark and Sherwood District Council has released footage of the incident in which a fire was lit in Newark’s Sconce and Devon Park.
The group not only put themselves at risk, but also park users and neighbouring properties too, and the council is calling on all parents and carers to check who their children are with, what they are doing and where they are this summer.
The footage was recorded by a council Park Ranger, on Friday, July 12, at around 3pm, who was alerted to the scene after seeing smoke arising from close to the community orchard area.
The footage, with sound removed, shows the immediate aftermath when a group of young people fled the scene as the officer arrives.
It shows a timber frame den constructed from trees which had been torn down from the orchard, several trees damaged with spray paint as well as damage to park signs.
A fire is burning underneath an unsecured tarpaulin, just yards away from nearby residential homes.
While the group weren’t intending to set fire to the park, the council said it was only by sheer luck that they were discovered by a Park Ranger before anything else was set on fire and an altogether different outcome would have happened.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene to ensure the fire was put out safely and to dampen the area to minimise any further risk to park users and wildlife.
Paul Taylor, portfolio holder for public protection and community relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “This fire was incredibly dangerous for the young people, park users and neighbouring properties. It is not an exaggeration to say that the outcome could have been much worse and could have resulted in death. That’s why we’ve taken the decision to release this footage.
“My message to parents is, please — do you know what your children are up to? While the district council, together with our partners, do all we can to educate young people about keeping safe, we simply cannot be everywhere all the time. Sadly, we see examples of this reckless type of behaviour all too often and we need parents and the community to do more.”
The council has committed to creating a safer district and educating younger generations to create long-term behaviour changes, and regularly works with partners to achieve this goal, most recently hosting a two-week-long safety event that reached over 800 pupils across the district.
The sessions covered a wide range of safety topics, including fire safety and wildlife crime, with a focus on the impacts and consequences unsafe or anti-social behaviour can have.
Anyone who may have information on these recent spates is encouraged to help protect the parks and report anything they know, or to report anti-social behaviour in general, to the council on 01636 650000 or online at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/asb , to Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
If a crime is in progress or life is in danger, dial 999.
