AN Ipswich car park was cordoned off today after vandals blew up a ticket machine.Officers were called to The Village car park next to the former Zest nightclub on Chancery Road at around 7.40am after the incident was reported.
AN Ipswich car park was cordoned off today after vandals blew up a ticket machine.
Officers were called to The Village car park next to the former Zest nightclub on Chancery Road at around 7.40am after the incident was reported.
It is understood a “banger” firework was exploded on the machine causing damage to the casing.
An unexploded firework was also found on the bonnet of a nearby car.
In total four officers in three vehicles attended the scene and the car park was cordoned off while the unexploded firework was disposed of safely.
A spokeswoman for Suffolk police said: “We were called at 7.40am following reports that the car park ticket machine had been blown up overnight.
“There were also reports that a banger had been left on the bonnet of a car.
“Any incident of this nature is treated extremely seriously and the area was cordoned off immediately while the banger on the bonnet of the car was disposed of safely.”
The car park has experienced problems with antisocial behaviour in the past.
A group of “boy racers” were forced to move on from the car park last summer after police teamed up with Ipswich Borough Council and health and safety officers to end the night-time congregations.
The car park underwent works to make it difficult for racers to speed around it.
The racers had been accused of leaving large amounts of litter, driving erratically around the nearby one-way system and loudly revving their engines. Ipswich Borough Council revealed earlier this year that the clean-up cost each time racers congregated at the car park came to £150.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Have you been the victim of vandalism? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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