Vandals daub '˜vile' graffiti on play equipment

Salthill Park is regularly used by young children and now police have vowed to step up patrols and find the culprits responsible.

The graffiti has upset lots of parents, including father-of-six Martin Wignall.

He said: “Another Clitheroe family park becoming ever more unsuitable for families, as my six and eight year old rightly pointed out.

“Vile graffiti and littered with drug packets.

“I’m upset that our park has been defaced. It’s a lovely community amenity, but I am fed-up of finding rubbish everywhere, sick graffiti sprayed on play equipment and I recently picked up 37 empty bags of what seems like drug-related stuff.

“How can people just decide to abandon rubbish at a kids play area?

“I regularly like to bring my children to this park, but our most recent visit has really upset them. I have contacted the police and the council.”

A number of local residents have taken to social media appalled at what they have seen.

One person said: “Sick of all this. It’s happening on the park near us and the on rugby field.” While another stated the problem is widespread: “ I do know the rotary club put in a lot of hours last week cleaning up the Castle grounds. It was disgusting how much drug packaging and needles they picked up. People need to start respecting public places.”

Police are investigating the graffiti attack. A spokesman for Clitheroe Police said: “Police are aware of the problem and we will be diverting extra patrols in and around the Salthill Park area.”

Mark Beveridge, head of cultural and leisure services at Ribble Valley Borough Council, said: “The graffiti has been removed. It was removed by our officers as soon as it was brought to our attention.”