Vandalism at Woodseats Playground in Graves Park has sparked fury amongst locals and politicians alike
Louise Haigh MP with the team from Friends of Woodseats Playground (Image: Louise Haigh MP)
Residents have spoken of their fury after “absolutely unnecessary” vandalism to a Sheffield park.
Distraught members of the Woodseats community awoke last Friday (October 17) to find a bench in the Woodseats Playground in Graves Park had been “burnt to bits”. Dr Kate Morgan, 34, who lives near the park, said she noticed the bench while on a walk a few days later, labelling the vandalism as “disgusting and unnecessary.”
“I live maybe a five-minute walk from the fire,” she said. “I dread to think what could have happened if it were summer, a fire near all of the dry bushes could have caused havoc, but that’s beside the point.”
Kate said she used to frequently take her six-year-old goddaughter across the road to the park – but no longer wants to take her after the fire. Kate said: “I would rather just not take her there. It’s disgusting and unnecessary anyway, but I am also worried about the type of people loitering in the park who would just burn a bench to bits.
MP Haigh visited the bench, days after it was ‘burnt to bits’ by a fire(Image: Lousie Haigh MP)
“As it gets darker, the park is round quite a dingy corner, so I just don’t trust it anymore – especially looking after a child that isn’t mine, you are almost on super high alert. I would be furious if I were a parent. It’s really heartbreaking to see, as the park is usually so nice otherwise.”
The burnt bench was initially reported by a local charity, made up of parents who banded together in 2017 to create ‘Friends of Woodseats Playground’. So far, the group has raised nearly £60,000 for the park and has become a listed charity under the same name.
In a Facebook post the charity said: “We are so disappointed to, once again, be victims of vandalism to the playground. One of our fantastic new benches has been completely destroyed by fire, with some of the surrounding new plants also damaged.
“These benches were only recently installed, and when the playground is vandalised, the whole community loses out. Raising the money for all the work you’ve seen over the last few years takes time and commitment, and we’ve always felt incredibly lucky to have such strong support locally. It really is just a few bad apples that spoil things for everyone else.”
The post garnered large amounts of public attention – including from the councillor for Graves Park Ward – Woodseats, Norton & Norton Lees, Rob Bannister, who said: “I am really sorry to hear about this. I was in the playground the other day, and it was looking so nice.”
As a response to the outrage, Labour MP Louise Haigh visited the site of the burnt bench, alongside Cllr Bannister and the Friends of Woodseats Playground volunteers. Ms Haigh said: “I’ve met with the friends of Woodseats team to speak with them about the vandalism that took place last week.
The scene has since been covered to make it safe for children (Image: Lyra Auld)
“This is a dedicated community group that works hard to make the playground a safe and secure place for the community.”
The site has since been covered to ensure it is safe for community use. For residents like Kate, they can only hope that the vandalism does not continue. Kate said: “In the future, I want to be able to take my goddaughter back here, but for now, I am just glad that the bench has been safely disposed of.”
Sheffield City Council is also aware of recent reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the Woodseats and Graves Park area. A spokesperson said: “Additional patrols have been set up to help prevent any further incidents of ASB taking place.
“If any local residents see any ASB or have any concerns, they are encouraged to report them and provide as much evidence as possible to enable officers and police to take appropriate and effective action.”
South Yorkshire Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.
Get all the latest and breaking Sheffield news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter here.
Get breaking news in Yorkshire straight to your phone
Get all the latest big and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here.
If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.