LOCAL people in the Penleigh and Oldfield Park ares of Westbury have spoken of their anger and sadness after their local park was targeted by vandals.
Members of POPCAN (Penleigh Oldfield Park Community Action Network) have worked hard to improve the community area and put on events there. But last week, vandals ripped benches out of the ground, leaving exposed slabs. As a result, the toddler play area had to be closed down until it can be made safe. A litter bin was also removed from its base.
Tina Devereux and Samantha Shore of POPCAN said, “We have spent lots of our own time and hours of effort in trying to make improvements in the area. We are trying to make changes, we participated in repainting the swings, we got funding to have the footpath resurfaced so it was safe to use. We had a professional graffiti artist come to revamp the skate park, had the old shelter removed.
“We have put on two POP UP fun days in the park. We were due to have our third one this summer but it was cancelled because of the Coronvirus pandemic.
“We also do regular litter picks. So it then becomes so disheartening when some individuals then decide to vandalise the little that we do have. We just don’t understand the mentality of people ruining their own facilities.
“Well some of us believe in Westbury, some of us believe we deserve more. This is why we, POPCAN exists, to be a voice for the local community, to try and make improvements.”
They have called for the introduction of CCTV in the area to protect it from further vandalism.
They added, “We must not allow a few individuals to ruin our hard work or stop people from using the park.”
If anyone would like to help out and join POPCAN, they should contact popcanwestbury@gmail.com
