Vandals leave trail of damage

VANDALS have left a trail of damage at Felixstowe after running amok in the resort's seafront gardens.

The attack on property left walkers shocked and angry – and council officials faced with a bill for repairs.

Damage was caused in the Spa Gardens, where one of the Edwardian-style lamps was broken and pushed over so that it was left dangerously blocking a flight of steps leading to the clifftops.

Two other similar lamp standards were also damaged, one of them left bent and the other with its lamp smashed and left hanging.

A beach hut was also damaged during an attempted break-in. Two wood panels were prised off the door but the lock help firm.

Walkers also reported seeing lifebelts which had been tampered with and seats thrown about in the gardens.

One walker said: "This kind of thing really annoys me – there is just no need for it at all. It's just wanton damage.

"Why do people need to damage things? What sort of enjoyment do they get out of it? It's beyond me."

Another said: "It is disgusting. It's just pointless. The council tries to keep the seafront looking nice but every time they do some work, something else is destroyed."

Police said they had not yet been informed by the council of the damage, which is believed to have happened on Monday night.

Patrols regularly keep an eye on the seafront and the gardens because they have been the scene of vandalism on many occasions in the past, but officers cannot be everywhere in such a large area.

No-one was available to comment from Suffolk Coastal council.

The council has plans for a £1 million revamp of the Spa Gardens and other areas along the seafront to restore the area to its former glory. It is currently drawing up its lottery bid for the project.

n What do you think should be done to stop vandals wrecking public property? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk