Vandalism and arson in Middleton condemned by local politician

This week, vandals have destroyed Middleton Gardens in the town centre and set fires to sections of King George’s Park in Moorclose. Local councillor Dylan Williams said this behaviour has plagued the area for years and is calling for the police to come down hard on the offenders.

The gardens in the town centre, planted by Rochdale Council workers, have been ripped up and strewn across the centre square and successive fires at the park led to firefighters being called out to the area twice in the same day.

“We’ve had a lot of this behaviour,” Councillor Williams said. “It is not an isolated incident. The gardens look beautiful this time of year. Now the flowers have been thrown all over the place.

“Every year they get the Britain in Bloom gold medal, and this could ruin that.

“Police need to get tough on the young people doing this. We’ve had issues with vandalism, off-road bikes and even drug dealings.

“I think it is repeat offenders. They get these behavioural contracts but when do they actually get tough on them?

“It is only a minority of young people who are spoiling it for the majority who are very good.”

 

 

The assistant portfolio holder to the leader of the council went on to say how the park has recently installed CCTV cameras that can take a full view of King George’s park and that improved CCTV with better imagery are due to come to the town centre as well. 

He said that this problem has been going on for years and in the centre of Middleton there has to be security on McDonald’s constantly due to the problems caused by local youths. Councillor Williams added that Subway have reached out to say they’ve had a number of problems with vandals and poorly behaved children as well.

“I run a youth club every Friday for eight to 13-year-olds,” Councillor Williams continued. “So it’s not like we don’t have youth provision in the ward.

“The problem is that starting fires takes the fire brigade away from proper emergencies and that garden vandalism could lose the town centre that Britain in Bloom award.”

 

 

Following the incidents, Rochdale Council posted to their social media pages appealing to witnesses.

In a bid to tackle the antisocial behaviour problems, Greater Manchester Police have stepped up patrols in Middleton Gardens and around local parks and businesses. This has seen numerous arrests and charges for a variety of offences, including drugs supply, weapons possession, and theft, according to GMP.

One particular recurring issue raised has been the use of off-road bikes. Police say bikes have been used to drive illegally, putting others at risk on the roads, as well as providing a noise nuisance, ruining beauty spots, and being involved in drug supply.

Sergeant James Donnelly, from GMP’s Rochdale Neighbourhood Team, said: “We are committed to tackling all manner of criminality in our community and will always target those who seek to disrupt the lives of others, whether that’s through drug dealing near people’s homes or causing mindless criminal damage.

“We have made numerous arrests in recent weeks and will continue to do so where this is necessary and proportionate. Where the offenders are young people, we work with partner agencies to work out why they may be offending: by putting the appropriate measures in place, we can both punish and prevent them from committing any further crimes.

“We urge anyone with any information to please get in touch with us, as all information, big or small, greatly increases our intelligence picture of who is doing what and when. This can aid us in pushing for charges and making sure criminals are punished and off the streets.

“Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also talk to an officer directly – they are always welcome to hearing more and are ready to provide advice and guidance.”

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter