Bus shelters smashed up and police and council criticised

Burton and Grange ward councillor Simon McCormack said Dorset Police and BCP Council had ‘failed’ Christchurch in their response to vandalism directed at the town’s bus shelters.

As reported, a number of bus shelters in Somerford Road, Barrack Road and other nearby locations have had their glass screens smashed in recent weeks. 

Cllr McCormack said he was “surprised” to find that BCP Council hadn’t reported the damage to the police, which meant that in some cases, glass shards were left scattered on the roadside for days.

Read more: Bus shelters across Christchurch smashed in vandalism spree

He claimed a store on Somerford Road had reported they have CCTV footage related to the damage, but this wasn’t collected by police until a week later, and only after the footage had been re-flagged to an officer in the Christchurch neighbourhood policing team.

In an email directed to the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, and BCP Council, Cllr McCormack said: “This just seems like a complete monumental failure of both the council to report the incidents and Dorset Police to react to what could have been prime evidence.

A damaged bus stop on Somerford Road. Photo taken in October. (Image: NQ)

“At the moment my residents are feeling very despondent, with a failing council and now a police force failing them as well.”

The Christchurch Neighbourhood Policing Team said that while they weren’t initially aware of the damage, an investigation has now been launched to "identify the culprits".

They also confirmed officers had viewed CCTV footage from a local business.

Neighbourhood inspector Helen Deakin said: “We are absolutely committed to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Christchurch and officers will be patrolling the area in a bid to reduce future incidents.”

Read more: Vandals smash St John's Church's windows and set fire to the altar

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, has been keen to reassure residents and elected representatives that Dorset Police are investigating the matter, and said that it is being taken “very seriously”. He added that there will be increased foot patrols in the area.

A spokesman for BCP Council confirmed they had sent contractors to repair a number of the bus shelters in the area and had reported the incidents to Dorset Police. They said: “The council works closely with both our contractor and Dorset Police to ensure that any incidents are fully investigated, with action undertaken as appropriate.”