Anti-social teenagers deter families from playground in Chesterfield park

Councillors Howard Borrell, Paul Niblock and Shirley Niblock at the playground in Inkerman Park where a wooden log bench was destroyed and a swing deliberately damaged.

Residents are claiming it’s not safe to take little children to play at Inkerman Park off Ashgate Road.

Their comments to borough councillors Shirley and Paul Niblock and Howard Borrell, as well as the Friends of the Inkerman committee, include:

“Playground equipment has been deliberately broken and items have been set alight and other features damaged. There has been litter, tins and bottles left after drinking sessions as well as foul language being used if anybody has dared to challenge what they are doing.”

“We have taken two of our grandchildren today and have found the playground quite unsafe with broken glass. We spoke to some teenagers who said they had had a party there last night.”

“….it now feels like the Inkerman Park play area has been taken over by bored teenagers and is no longer a place for parents to take their children on a sunny afternoon.”

Damage done to the equipment included links of a swing deliberately broken so it was too dangerous to use and a wooden log seat ruined. Items were wrapped in toilet roll and set on fire but no damage was caused.

The Friends of the Inkerman have raised £55,000 for play equipment through grants, litter picks and a woodcraft afternoon.

Coun Shirley Niblock, who is secretary of the Friends group, said: “It is so sad that all the hard work to find funding for this equipment is now going to waste as people now believe that they can’t safely take small children to their local park.

"The Friends Group is disappointed that this popular park has been taken over by bored teenagers with the anti-social behaviour which is deterring families from using the facilities that were created for them.

"We have liaised with the Friends, Community Safety Partnership and police to try and ensure regular patrols.”

The Friends group has appealed to parents to take an interest in where their older children are and what they are doing.

Coun Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing on Chesterfield Borough Council which owns the park, said: “Our Community Safety Partnership are working to tackle this behaviour but in the meantime we are asking that anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour in Inkerman Park report it to the police using the non-emergency 101 number or by using the reporting function on the Derbyshire Constabulary website.”