MINEHEAD urgently needs a bigger and regular police presence to curb the alarming rise in teenage vandalism which is costing the town ‘many thousands of pounds’ a year and damaging its reputation as a tourist destination, civic leaders claimed this week.

At a town council meeting next Tuesday, councillors will demand to know why there have been no arrests when the leading culprits are said to be known to the police and why policing in the town is left largely to six local PCSO officers.

“We particularly want to know the conviction rate because vandalism is becoming a complete blight on the town and no-one is being caught,” said Minehead Mayor Cllr Paul Bolton.

“All we are told is that if crimes aren’t reported, the police can’t do anything. But they are being reported and still nothing is done.”

He added: “We are very worried about the situation and not at all happy with the way the police are handling it. The situation is becoming more serious and widespread by the week and yet when we express our concerns to the police they are not even acknowledged.”

The latest vandalism includes damage to the Blenheim Gardens cafe and toilets, a fire at the Irnham Road recreation ground, damage to the Methodist Church in the Avenue and a seafront shelter, and the demolition of fences and stone walls on North Hill.

“We don’t blame the PCSOs”, Cllr Bolton said. “They are doing their best but they have no powers of arrest and the vandals know that. The PCSOs have no back-up and if anything happens they have to get support from Williton, and failing that, from Taunton or Bridgwater.

“By the time anyone gets here, the culprits have cleared off. We are always being told that the police have very limited resources but when Butlin’s opened they somehow managed to find two mounted police offices and several mobile units.

“Residents are becoming angry that it is taking so long to control vandalism and catch the culprits, and who can blame them?”

In a letter to Avon and Somerset Police, Cllr Bolton said: “The town has been experiencing high levels of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage in public parks and spaces, and we would like some reassurance that there will be weekend cover and regular patrols in the areas where this damage is repeatedly being done.

“I hope you can offer local residents some reassurance that these matters are being taken seriously and that some progress will be made before too many more thousands of pounds worth of damage is done in Minehead.”

Cllr Bolton said this week that no acknowledgement or reply to the letter had been received by the council.

Cllr Terry Venner, whose ward includes Blenheim Gardens, said: “This matter will certainly be raised at the next council meeting. The same group of youngsters are thought to be responsible for the damage but police are not around when it happens. It is vital that some way is found to increase police presence in the town. At the moment the police simply can’t cope.

“Older people tell me they are becoming reluctant to venture into the town in case they become involved in damage or violence.”

There was a further outbreak of vandalism last Tuesday when a resident who asked not to be named reported ‘an explosion’ on North Hill’s zig-zag path. “At first I thought it was the RNLI firing a maroon but realised they no longer do that.

“We saw four youths running down Northfield Road. I went to investigate and discovered the devastation they had left behind. An explosive device had been placed on a park bench leaving it with scorch marks.

“It occurred to me that elderly persons living nearby could have been seriously affected. I was informed that the offending youth is well known in the area.”

He added: “Why is it that there is a certain element that finds satisfaction in defiling and destroying the very parts of the environment that we adults hold dear to our hearts?”

The previous week, Minehead fire crews were called to a fire in Irnham Road after rubber safety flooring had been ripped by youngsters from a children’s play area and set alight next to a wooden bench.

A fire service spokesman said: “The cause of the fire was clearly a deliberate act. Sadly, the clean-up and repair will have to be met by the town council.”

Other recent damage claimed to be caused by a group of a dozen local teenagers include smashed windows in the Blenheim Gardens cafe, vandalising the Irnham Road toilets, damaging the roof and windows of the Methodist Church in the Avenue, and spray-painting graffiti.

nti-social behaviour and criminal damage in public parks and spaces, and we would like some reassurance that there will be weekend cover and regular patrols in the areas where this damage is repeatedly being done.

“I hope you can offer local residents some reassurance that these matters are being taken seriously and that some progress will be made before too many more thousands of pounds worth of damage is done in Minehead.”

Cllr Bolton said this week that no acknowledgement or reply to the letter had been received by the council.

Cllr Terry Venner, whose ward includes Blenheim Gardens, said: “This matter will certainly be raised at the next council meeting. The same group of youngsters are thought to be responsible for the damage but police are not around when it happens. It is vital that some way is found to increase police presence in the town. At the moment the police simply can’t cope.

“Older people tell me they are becoming reluctant to venture into the town in case they become involved in damage or violence.”

There was a further outbreak of vandalism last Tuesday when a resident who asked not to be named reported ‘an explosion’ on North Hill’s zig-zag path. “At first I thought it was the RNLI firing a maroon but realised they no longer do that.

“We saw four youths running down Northfield Road. I went to investigate and discovered the devastation they had left behind. An explosive device had been placed on a park bench leaving it with scorch marks.

“It occurred to me that elderly persons living nearby could have been seriously affected. I was informed that the offending youth is well known in the area.”

He added: “Why is it that there is a certain element that finds satisfaction in defiling and destroying the very parts of the environment that we adults hold dear to our hearts?”

The previous week, Minehead fire crews were called to a fire in Irnham Road after rubber safety flooring had been ripped by youngsters from a children’s play area and set alight next to a wooden bench.

A fire service spokesman said: “The cause of the fire was clearly a deliberate act. Sadly, the clean-up and repair will have to be met by the town council.”

Other recent damage claimed to be caused by a group of a dozen local teenagers include smashed windows in the Blenheim Gardens cafe, vandalising the Irnham Road toilets, damaging the roof and windows of the Methodist Church in the Avenue, and spray-painting graffiti.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said yesterday: “We do carry out proactive patrols to deter crime and anti-social behaviour in Minehead.”

He pointed out that officers had been on foot patrol on the seafront on Tuesday evening.

A more detailed statement from Avon and Somerset Police on concerns surrounding policing in Minehead will be published in next week’s Free Press (July 2).