Knowsley Council has condemned the mindless and destructive actions of an individual / individuals that have caused significant damage to a new £178,000 play park at Finch Woods in Halewood. The park, which was due to open to the public this week, has seen every piece of equipment spray painted over the weekend. There has also been damage to trees, safety surfacing and the site left strewn with plastic bags.
Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council said: “I am absolutely furious to see the damage that has occurred at Finch Woods. There is absolutely no reasoning behind this kind of mindless behaviour, but the impact is significant.
“The cost to repair the equipment, remove the paint and assess any safety implications or wider damage will run into thousands of pounds. But it is the impact on the local community that sickens me the most. These facilities were due to open in time for local families to make the most of the park during the summer holidays and now that will be delayed due to the actions of a small number of people.
“This has been reported as a crime and we are working with our colleagues in Merseyside Police to review CCTV from the area and find those responsible. Let’s be absolutely clear, we will take every step possible to find those responsible and ensure they understand the impact of their actions.”
Knowsley Council is investing £1 million in Finch Woods thanks to Section 106 developer contributions associated with the East of Halewood housing development.
A key part of this project is the creation of this new play area which includes a separate junior and toddler play area connected via a sensory path. New equipment – suitable for ages 0-14 – has been installed in recent weeks including new swings, slides, climbing frames, accessible and inclusive equipment and sensory panels. Final installation and finishing work was due to take place this week with the park likely to have been open to the public in the coming days. Now the Council will concentrate its efforts on repairing the damage and ensuring the safety of the equipment.
Cllr Morgan added: “We will work round the clock to get this park repaired and open for the local community to enjoy. But given that this damage has occurred even before the park has officially opened really does concern me. We need to find those responsible and do all we can to ensure this kind of mindless vandalism doesn’t happen again.
“I would ask everyone in the local community for their support. If you know anything about this please get in touch. Maybe you have spotted blue or yellow spray paints on clothes or hands or maybe you saw something over the weekend. Any information is important and will be treated confidentially. Together – we need to do all we can to weed out this kind of behaviour and ensure community facilities can be enjoyed – not destroyed!”
Report it
Anyone with information is encouraged to report this to Merseyside Police via 101 quoting crime reference 26000645447, via the Merseyside Police website or by direct message on Facebook and X @MerPolCC
You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
If there is anything you would like to discuss in confidence with our Crime and Communities Team, please email Safer.Knowsley@knowsley.gov.uk