Alex Easton MLA has today condemn those responsible for a spate of graffiti on Council property in Ward park and especially on the former WW2 Air Raid shelter with his colleagues alderman Bill Kerry and Alderman Wesley Irvine.
Speaking today Alex Easton MLA said:
“I am totally disgusted to see an important part of our history in ward Park have graffiti sprayed all over it, this is a second world Ward Air raid shelter one of three that I am aware of that remain in Bangor, this building should not only be protected it should be cleaned up as soon as possible by the Council, the history of this former Air raid shelter needs to be recorded and protected and some sort of plaque put on the shelter to give its history, the graffiti around Award Park is totally out of control with the tennis club buildings also badly affected, there is no thought as to the cost to clean this up and the history especially of the WW2 Air raid shelter”
“I believe it is time for a joint task force to be set up between the council, PSNI and Housing Executive that will look to tackle the level of graffiti that is ruining through our Towns and Villages across the Ards and North Down area. I believe that a joint task force needs to be set up with aims and goal of how to prevent, change attitudes and deal severely with those that are responsible for this sort of behaviour. The start should be the set up a small group to decide what action plans are I needed believe they should be the following.”
- The formation of an Agency task force.
- A plan of Action formulated.
- Prevention Measures put in place such as identify hot spots.
- Better Education on why it is not cool to do graffiti.
- Looking at tougher penalties for offenders.
- Including fines, fixing the areas graffiti, apology to property owners, naming and shaming, doing educational courses why not to graffiti.
“While these are just some of the basic ideas it would be up to the working group to establish the range of measures that are needed to combat this scourge in our society and I would be asking Ards and north Down council to take the lead in setting this up.”
Speaking today Councillor Wesley Irvine said:
I will be taking this issue up as soon as possible with the council, we need this Air Raid shelter cleaned up and protected and if anyone with any information on the persons involved for this to be reported to the PSNI and Council, it is totally unacceptable that a building with so much history attached to it would be treated in such an appalling way”
Ends:
