Shocking and shameful: Mail readers' outrage as vandals hit Hartlepool park

Families in Hartlepool have hit out at the damage caused to a town park undergoing improvements worth £550,000.
Council chiefs have vowed to track down vandals who caused damage in Rossmere Park.Council chiefs have vowed to track down vandals who caused damage in Rossmere Park.
Council chiefs have vowed to track down vandals who caused damage in Rossmere Park.

Council bosses have pledged to catch those responsible for the damage in Rossmere Park, and are calling on the public to be on their guard and report any vandalism they see as soon as possible.

Stones and bricks have been thrown at a new sports wall, plants have been ripped out and litter has been dumped across the park over a period of a few days.

New plant beds were ripped out at Rossmere Park.New plant beds were ripped out at Rossmere Park.
New plant beds were ripped out at Rossmere Park.
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Read more: Year=long improvement works at Hartlepool park get underway
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And Mail readers have had their say on the damage, calling for further CCTV in the area to stop something like this happening again.

Hartlepool Borough Council is in the midst of an improvements programme for Rossmere, which includes a new toddler play area, a new covered events area and a car park.

Bosses are calling to the public to help catch those responsible.Bosses are calling to the public to help catch those responsible.
Bosses are calling to the public to help catch those responsible.

Slamming the vandalism on the Mail's Facebook page, readers spoke of their sadness at "something nice" for children being ruined.

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Tony Hanson, assistant director for environment and neighbourhood services at Hartlepool Borough Council, "We will track down and take action against the culprits.

"We will be sharing our CCTV footage with the police and together with the police we’re following up eyewitness information and descriptions of the culprits and stepping up patrols in the area."

Here is what you had to say on the Hartlepool Mail Facebook page:

Simon Lawlor: "People need to take responsibility for the kids instead of letting them out and not giving a damn where or what they are doing!"

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Stacy Swalwell: "Totally shocking that people can't just leave things alone, no respect whatsoever, shocking!"

Julie Vaughan: "Can't leave [anything] alone, knew it couldn't last shame for summer for little ones."

Julie Waterman Kelly: "Definitely needs CCTV. Was absolutely shocking in there on Saturday."

Kathleen Foster: "It used to be a lovely park, not anymore."

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Louise Dent: "It’s awful my kids were really looking forward to going to the new park but are now scared to because of the big groups of teenagers."

Florence R Wilson: "Use money to install hidden cameras, not big expense, evidence be there."

Jenna Rutherford: "Kids can't have anything, makes me so mad.

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Laura McLean: "Such a shame, they try to do something nice and this happens."

Lorna Holden Hickman: "This is awful! We loved Rossmere Park when mine were little."

Dawn Robinson: "Lack of money means lack of police or other kinds of security to keep our streets and beautiful parks safe and vandal free."