Dismay as £2,000 maps vandalised

1:00pm Tuesday 26th August 2008

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VANDALS have wrecked recently installed maps in a Ringwood car park.

Five illustrated maps in wooden display cases were fixed to sturdy posts at key points in the busy Furlong car park in mid-May to help visitors find their way around the town on foot.

One next to the Millennium Clock in the centre of the car park was vandalised in the first week and repaired, said deputy town clerk Jo Stannard.

Now it has been attacked again with the frame completely ripped away from its post. Another near the public toilets has had the map removed from the frame.

Neither map has been found.

Mrs Stannard said the maps, which had cost £2,000 to install, had been put up to encourage people to stay longer in the town or visit again.

"However, the image portrayed by the missing signs is one that is more likely to turn visitors away and taint their memories of time spent in the town," she said.

Mayor Cllr Brian Terry was "absolutely disgusted" when he heard the news.

"That's something that the people of Ringwood asked for in the town plan and it has been vandalised by what would seem to be local youths," he said.

"We have an inherent problem up there. We have CCTV cameras which point towards the car park and Meeting House Lane, and during the growth period the trees cover them up.

"There are five of these map boards and one or two of them are out of range of the camera."

Mrs Stannard agreed trees were obscuring the view and said: "It's a bit farcical really."

Roger Bettle, who chaired the signage project group, said: "A lot of effort was put into getting these signs in place and I am greatly disappointed to hear about this mindless vandalism."

He urged any witnesses to contact police saying: "We must not let people get away with it."

Call Ringwood police station on 0845 045 4545.